It's never simple
by BPython
Summary: This story is about love, friendship and all that good jazz ... maybe. It can be cracky at times but it's not toally pointless, I hope.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer : I do not own the characters of Mai Hime or Mai Otome. Sunrise does and they're awesome!**_

**_Author's rants_**

Heyoo fanfiction readers! Author here!

This is my third fan fiction story and first multi-chapter fic. Meaning, I'm still a noob here. So please don't kill me if I screw up somewhere.

My story is already done so the chapters will be uploaded consecutively and fairly quick. That is ... if I can figure out how to do this multi-chapter thing right on the fanfiction website .

There are a few things I would like to bring to your attention before you start reading. About the story - Please do take note that although my story is finished, it is still a work in progress that needs to be polished. Even though I worked hard on this, I still think the story is too rough and needs a lot more work so your comments, questions, suggestions and even flames will be appreciated. I will save your critiques and comments for future references. My friends and I have proof read and edited this sucker many times but if you still notice mistakes in my writing such as verb tense errors or name spellings errors etc, then I apologize in advance for it.

Another thing is- this is my first attempt at comedy. Personally, I find comedy to be the hardest to write. This was a challenge/exercise for me so if there is anything I can improve on, please let me know ( If I fail so bad at comedy, please don't hesitate to let me know about that too.) All in all, I hope you will enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

To conclude - If I've managed to get a smile out of you by the time you finish reading this story then I'll gladly pat myself on the back. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Best regards!

BPython

**PS : Here's a definition for you cited from the Dictionary website**. **Malapropism - an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, especially by the confusion of words that are similar in sound.**

* * *

**Smells like Teen Angst!**

Three months after the Hime Carnival -

One Weekend – Evening - Natsuki's apartment

It was a typical evening at Natsuki's apartment. She was playing a video game while waiting for Shizuru to finish cooking dinner.

"Natsuki, it's time for dinner!" Shizuru announced as she walked out of the kitchen with two steaming bowls of ramen.

"Gimme a sec," Natsuki said, not taking her eyes off the TV. She was mashing down the buttons on her Xbox360 controller at a furious pace.

Shizuru smiled wearily. "Ara, Natsuki should pause the game. Our dinner is going to get cold."

"Just give me a second Shizuru! This is an important part of the game!" Natsuki snapped. She was playing a hack and slash game and this was the final boss battle. Natsuki had been attempting to kill this boss for over a week now. He was incredibly hard. Every time Natsuki would get close to killing him, he would pulverize her somehow. But this time, it was different. By some stroke of luck, she was beating him. His health was very low, the lowest that Natsuki had ever seen. This time, she might just beat him!

Suddenly, Natsuki's vision was blocked by a pair of legs.

"Natsuki, dinner is getting cold. Come now, you can play this game later," Shizuru said with hands resting on her hips.

"NO! SHIZURU! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Natsuki screamed but it was too late. Shizuru only blocked her vision for a few seconds but that was all it took for the game boss to get to her. Two punches from him and her character was down.

"NOOOO!" Natsuki shouted with her hands outstretched to the television screen as the texts 'GAME OVER' appeared on it.

Shizuru raised a brow at the display. "It's just a video game, Natsuki. You don't have to be so dramatic about it."

Still sore from her loss, Natsuki took offense. "Hey! Do you know how many hours I spent trying to kill that freaking boss? I WAS SO DAMN CLOSE! IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, I MIGHT HAVE BEATEN HIM!"

Shizuru rubbed the bridge of her nose. She looked unusually annoyed. "There's no need for you to yell at me like that. Good grief, you are acting like a child!" she said.

Shizuru's denouncing tone made Natsuki bristle with irritation. She started to shout. "I'M NOT A CHILD AND I'LL YELL IF I WANT TO! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN!"

The older girl released an exasperated sigh. "Ara, my fault? I only tried to get you to eat dinner at dinner time. That's what adults do, Natsuki. Adults don't play video games all evening. You're clearly acting like a spoiled child. Just look at what you're doing now. What do you plan to gain by yelling at me this way?" she asked. Her hardened red eyes glared back at Natsuki's defiant green ones.

"Rewind the time," Natsuki said stubbornly.

"That's absurd."

Natsuki knew that too but she didn't feel like being reasonable right now. Shizuru wasn't reasonable enough to wait a few seconds and not block her view of the television. So why should Natsuki be reasonable? **_'W_**_**hat's her deal anyways?'** _Natsuki mused. Usually, the older girl would let Natsuki play her video game however long she wanted and when she wanted without complaint. **_'ARRGH! Shizuru's being so irritating right now!' _**

"REWIND TO THE POINT BEFORE YOU BLOCKED THE TV! THAT'S WHAT I WANT!" Natsuki bellowed.

"You're such an annoying brat," Shizuru spat.

Natsuki was a bit taken aback by the venom in Shizuru's voice but she quickly recovered. "W-WHATEVER!" she hollered. Natsuki didn't stand down from their glaring contest. "I DON'T LIKE YOU RIGHT NOW!"

The older girl glowered at her for but said nothing more. After a brief moment, Shizuru broke their eye contact and turned around briskly. Natsuki wondered what her friend was planning to do. She got her answer when she saw Shizuru gather her book bag. Then without a goodbye, the older girl stormed out the front door and left.

Later on, Natsuki would be astonished by the fact that her best friend had walked out on her for the first time. If Natsuki didn't let her anger get to her, then she would notice that Shizuru didn't try to pacify her with charming words. They fought before but Shizuru usually pretended to cry and that would immediately make Natsuki feel bad. It always effectively ended their fights. If Natsuki took one moment to notice that, then she would see that Shizuru was not acting like herself.

But for now, Natsuki couldn't be bothered to think about it. She stomped into her bedroom and slammed the door shut. Right now, she'd rather just sulk and be angry about the fact that Shizuru had thwarted her chances of beating the final boss of the video game.

* * *

Weekday – Evening - Natsuki's Apartment

Natsuki had just got back from school. She dropped her book bag on the floor and looked around her apartment. Normally, she would get comfortable on the couch and turn the Xbox360 on but not today. She didn't feel like doing anything lately, not even playing video games. She dragged herself to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of potato chips before plopping down on her couch.

It had been a week since she last talked to Shizuru. Ever since that fight ...

But everything was going well in Natsuki's life. She didn't need to have Shizuru around all the time. She could take care of herself. Natsuki had been alone most of her life anyways and she got by just fine.

**'**_**Yeah, I'm gonna be just fine,' **_she thought.

Natsuki rested her gaze on her front door. She wondered if Shizuru was going to walk through it any time soon? Shizuru hadn't given her back her apartment key so it was a possibility.

Natsuki sighed in frustration. The older girl hadn't called or tried to talk to her. Shizuru had stopped hanging out with her altogether at school. Their friends hadn't noticed anything yet because Shizuru was typically busy with the Student Council business and Natsuki usually hung out with Mai and the others.

Natsuki sighed again. **_'I wonder what Shizuru is doing right now? Does she miss me too?'_**

Startled by her own thoughts, Natsuki got up abruptly from the couch. "Now hold on a minute! Who says I miss her!" she protested aloud. **_'I certainly do not miss Shizuru!'_**she thought. She tried to reason out her actions. "M-maybe I just don't like the fact that we're fighting … I-I mean, she is my best friend after all," Natsuki said to the empty apartment as if it was arguing with her.

She put away her potato chips and laid down on the couch with an irate groan. "I don't miss her at all," she mumbled. Natsuki fixed her gaze on the front door once more and stayed that way until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Weekday – Lunch time - Fuuka Gakuen greens

It had been two weeks since Shizuru and Natsuki last talked to each other.

Mai and Natsuki were currently eating lunch together on the green. Their other friends had yet to arrive.

"Hey, Natsuki," Mai started. "I don't meant to pry but I guess I am prying ... ... Why doesn't Kaichou-sama come to lunch with you anymore?"

Natsuki found it hard to swallow her food just from hearing Shizuru's name. She hadn't spoken to Shizuru in two weeks. She had not told anyone about the fight between them because it only concerned her and Shizuru. It was really no one else's business. "She's busy," Natsuki replied curtly. In truth, she had no idea how Shizuru was doing. She hadn't gone around the Student Council Room and Shizuru hadn't visited her apartment during the evenings.

Natsuki's anger was long gone. It was now totally replaced by something else. _**'I miss her,'**_Natsuki thought longingly. She missed her best friend. She missed having Shizuru around. She missed Shizuru's teasing. She missed eating Shizuru's cooking.

"You miss who?" Mai asked.

"Huh?" Natsuki's head snapped up and her eyes met Mai's mischievous ones.

"You said 'I miss her.' Now spill it Natsuki! Who is 'her'? Although I have a good guess, I want to hear you say it!" Mai quipped.

_**'Shoot!'**_ Natsuki hadn't realized that she had said it out loud.

"KYAAA! FUJINO-SAMA!"

Their conversation was interrupted by loud girlish squeals.

_**'Shizuru?' **_Natsuki's eyes desperately searched for the cause of the squealing. Then she saw her …

Shizuru was walking across the green. She had her hands clasped behind her back and appeared to be enjoying a leisurely walk. Her obnoxious fan club trailed close behind.

_**'I want to go to her.', 'I want to call her over.', 'I want her to look this way.'**__ S_o many thoughts were running through Natsuki's mind. But ultimately, what she wanted right now was to have Shizuru back beside her.

Natsuki was about to open her mouth when somebody else called out to Shizuru. "Yo! Bubuzuke!"

She recognized the voice. It belonged to Haruka. Natsuki's eyes searched for the blonde and found her standing near the school building which was right across from where Natsuki and Mai sat. She saw Shizuru acknowledge the blonde's call with a small wave. Her emerald eyes followed Shizuru as the older girl walked up to Haruka. The two girls talked for a while before heading into the school building together.

Natsuki had to restrain herself for pouting. Shizuru didn't even notice her.

"Alright, what the heck was that?" Mai exclaimed. "I think hell just froze over because Kaichou-sama is ignoring you and you're swooning!"

Natsuki blushed profusely at her friend's words. "I-I wasn't swooning!"

"Uh-huh and I hate Karaoke. Come on Natsuki, it's clear as day. Something is wrong between you two! Now spill!" Mai said.

"There's nothing wrong!"

"I don't believe you," Mai insisted.

"I said there's nothing wrong so just drop it, okay?" Natsuki grumbled.

Mai didn't look too pleased but she was always the understanding friend. She dropped the issue and they moved on to talk about something else.

* * *

That weekend – Morning - Fuuka Mall

The fight was now spanning over two weeks, almost crossing into three.

Natsuki was at the Fuuka Mall on a weekend morning. If Mai saw this, she would think hell had really frozen over.

Natsuki got up early today but it wasn't by choice. She had been tossing and turning all night. When she saw the first ray of daylight enter her bedroom, she simply gave up on the idea of sleeping. This was not the first time this had happened. She had been losing sleep nearly on a daily basis ever since that fight with Shizuru.

Natsuki couldn't seem stop thinking about the older girl. Shizuru was the cause of her sleepless nights. Even if Natsuki did manage to fall asleep, she would dream about her best friend. In her dreams, they would be hanging out together just like told times. But Natsuki would wake up and she'd feel disappointed all over again because it was merely a dream.

_**'This is stupid,'** _Natsuki thought. Everything was reminding her of Shizuru these days. Even when she was showering, Natsuki would remember the times when Shizuru burst in unannounced just for laughs. The memory of it still annoyed her but it also brought a small smile to her lips. Shizuru could be downright silly sometimes.

Natsuki rubbed her tired eyes. _**'I need to stop thinking about her. I need to stop being like this,'** _she told herself. She was determined to take her mind off Shizuru today. Hence why she was at the Fuuka Mall. Natsuki was going to shop and have a good time with no Shizuru to hamper her.

Yet, as Natsuki went about her little shopping trip, she began to see that she was not getting the results she hoped for.

Natsuki went to the stores that she and Shizuru frequented together. It only made her more aware of her best friend's absence. She tried to distract herself by looking at clothing and accessories but her mind kept going back to Shizuru. **'**_**Does this look good on me? Would Shizuru think so too?', 'I bet this top would look good on Shizuru. ', 'This is definitely Shizuru's style.'**_ It made her feel even worse.

"What's wrong with me?" Natsuki murmured as she walked out of a shoe store. She really needed to do something to cheer herself up. Then an idea came to her. "Ah! I got it!" she chirped. She made a beeline for the food-court.

Natsuki soon bought herself a greasy burger and french fries. She paid for the food and took her tray from the server. She smirked, immediately reminded of how Shizuru hated greasy food. _**'Gah! I'm thinking about her again!' **_She shook the thought off and grabbed herself some mayo packs. She took a seat at an empty table and started to sop her burger with mayo. After she was done, Natsuki sat back and looked over her masterpiece. The burger looked absolutely scrumptious. It was dripping with mayo. Natsuki grinned. Shizuru would gag if she ever saw it.

"GAH!" It happened again. Shizuru invaded her thoughts once again. "This is hopeless," Natsuki muttered. She rested her chin on her palms and let loose a sigh. No matter what she did, Shizuru would always find a way to sneak into her head. It was getting worse with each passing day and she didn't know how to stop it.

Natsuki released another deep sigh. She stared at the empty chair across from her. Whenever she ate here, Shizuru was always with her. She always took the seat across from Natsuki. They would talk and eat together. _**'Together ...'**_The word echoed longingly inside her head.

Natsuki glanced down at her food. She grimaced and pushed the tray away.

Suddenly, she didn't feel so hungry anymore.

* * *

Weekday – Lunch time - Fuuka Gakuen Hallway.

It had been three weeks since that fight.

Nao, Chie, Mai, Natsuki and Aoi were talking in the hallway.

"Exams are in two weeks. Is everyone prepared?" Chie chirped.

Nao groaned. "It'll be a miracle if I pass," she said.

"No worries, Nao-kun," Chie said. "I'll be tutoring you after all. Just do your best and I'm sure you will pass!"

"I haven't studied at all. I was planning on pulling all-nighters next week," Mai said with a sheepish smile.

"Ah, you should take it easy, Mai-kun. I've looked over the exam material. It doesn't look hard. I'm quite confident that we'll all do well," Chie said.

Aoi slapped Chie's arm in a playful manner. "The last time we took it easy, everyone ended up with barely passing grades while you got the perfect score!" she complained.

Mai shot a mock glared at Chie. "Aoi-san is right. Not all of us are brainiacs like you, Chie-san."

"You think too highly of me, Mai-kun," Chie joked with a cheeky smile. All her friends knew that she excelled at school work. "But in all seriousness, the exam material really is not that hard."

Chie's words did little for Mai's qualm. "But everyone is already studying for the exam. I hope I'm not starting too late," she said, looking around uneasily. The hallway was usually crowded with loitering students but today, it was deserted. The students were either in their classrooms studying, eating or doing both.

"It'll be all right, Mai-kun," Chie persisted. "The study load is small and the material is easy but I can help you out if you'd like. After all, I'm tutoring Aoi and Nao-kun too so we might as well have a study group."

Mai hummed her approval. "I might take you up on that offer. Natsuki could join too! What do you think, Natsuki?" Mai turned to her friend. Natsuki had her arms crossed and her gaze resting on the ground. It was clear to see that her mind was elsewhere.

"Hey, Natsuki?" Mai nudged her friend's arm and that broke the latter out of her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, sure." She gave a mildly bewildered answer. Mai frowned, seeing how distracted Natsuki looked.

"Yo, mutt. You alright?" Nao asked. Mai wasn't the only one who noticed Natsuki's disheveled state. She had dark rings under her hollow eyes. Adding to her tired appearance was her withdrawn state. Everything about Natsuki screamed that she was burdened by something. Although Natsuki herself was unaware of her transparency, all her friends could tell that something was wrong.

"No, nothing's wrong," Natsuki replied quietly. Everyone discreetly raised their brows and passed a look between one other. Natsuki didn't bite Nao's head off for calling her 'mutt.' Even Nao looked astounded.

Now, everyone was worried. Nao was about to voice her concern again when loud squeals penetrated through the hallway.

"FUJINO-SAMA!"

Natsuki's eyes immediately traveled to the source of the excitement.

Shizuru was coming down the corridor, surrounded by a sea of fan girls. The older girl released a silvery chuckle, followed by a playful plea. "Ladies, please. I really need to be at the tea house," she said. She had her signature dashing smile plastered on her face.

"But I want your button, Fujino-sama!" one of the girls squealed.

"I want to keep a memento of you!" another one said.

_**'Button?' **_Natsuki eyes widened when Shizuru got closer. She was shocked by the state that the older girl was in. All the buttons on Shizuru's coat and shirt were gone. The older girl wore a white tank top underneath her uniform and that was the only thing keeping Shizuru's top front from being entirely exposed.

Although Shizuru's attire was untidy, she still looked absolutely stunning and her fan girls seemed to think so too. A few of them were hanging onto Shizuru's arms while the others walked close by. They were all eyeing their object of desire with undisguised yearning.

One girl reached up and touched Shizuru's neck. Natsuki frowned.** '**_**What the hell is she doing?!'** _her inner voice screamed. If Shizuru was upset by it, she certainly didn't show it. She was wearing her ever-present jocund smile. Natsuki's frown deepened. Shizuru was usually nice to her fan girls but Natsuki didn't know that she let them be this touchy feely.

_**'Why is Shizuru letting her do that?!' **_ It bothered Natsuki. She didn't know why it bothered her so much. Natsuki felt like there was a storm inside her heart.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" another fan girl protested, swatting the girl who was touching Shizuru's neck.

"What? I'm checking for a button," the other girl replied with a sassy smile.

"Ara," Shizuru smiled and reached up to cradle the invading hand on her neck. "Unfortunately, I do not have any buttons left on my uniform. Maybe another time."

All the fan girls started to squeal. "Fujino-sama touched her hand! I want Fujino-sama to touch my hand too!" one of them said. The fan girls were in heaven right now. They didn't even notice the Ice-Princess whom they were coming towards.

Saying that Natsuki was annoyed was an understatement. She was utterly livid. **'**_**How dare they touch Shizuru that way!' **_Those girls were going crazy over Shizuru._** 'Noooooo, Shizuru you idiot! Don't let them touch you like that!' **_Natsuki had to bite back the urge to yell.

"My my, Kaichou-sama sure is popular," Aoi said.

"That's Wondergirl for you," Nao chuckled. "Rumors has it, she sews new buttons on her uniform every evening just because of those crazy girls."

"Why do they take her buttons?" Natsuki asked. She was trying to make sense of this peculiar situation.

"Ah, I can explain that," Chie started. "You see, there's an unwritten tradition in high schools where a boy would give away his second button from the top of his uniform to a girl he loves. You can think of it as a love declaration I suppose."

"But!" Chie continued. "These girls have twisted that tradition into something else. They probably trick themselves into believing that those buttons are a piece of Kaichou-sama or more. Like her love. They probably think Kaichou-sama wouldn't give them a memento of herself if she doesn't love them."

"But they're taking things a little too far don't you think?" Aoi said with an uneasy chuckle.

Nao scoffed. "I'll say! Her buttons are being robbed not given!"

Her friends continued to converse but Natsuki couldn't hear it anymore.

It tugged her heart. _**'Shizuru's **__**love … so those buttons basically symbolizes Shizuru's love and she's just giving it to them?' **_Natsuki wondered. She could only watch as Shizuru and her fan girls passed her by. The older girl didn't acknowledge her presence. It was as if Natsuki didn't exist. Shizuru walked on while wearing her usual criminally charming smile. Natsuki wasn't sure if that smile was fake or real but she did know one thing. Shizuru's smile was dazzling but that dazzling smile wasn't meant for her. A smile was a distant dream when Shizuru wouldn't even spare her a glance.

Natsuki couldn't look anymore. She felt her eyes burn. She quickly turned on her heels and headed into the classroom. She heard her friends call out to her but Natsuki didn't stop. She couldn't deal with their questions while she was trying to hold back tears. She didn't want to cry in front of her friends and especially not in front of those fan girls. They would have a field day if they ever saw the Ice-Princess cry.

Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period. Mai and the others took their respective seats in the classroom while Nao headed back to her own class. Natsuki was momentarily saved from the trouble of having to face her friends. They probably noticed her abnormal behavior by now. They would want to know what was going on and Natsuki wasn't sure if she was ready to tell them anything yet.

Class soon began. Concentrating on Midori's lecture was out of the question for Natsuki. So she decided to make use of the class time to calm herself and collect her thoughts. However, what she ended up doing was something entirely different.

Natsuki scribbled furiously on the last page of her notebook. Using a name and a word, she was trying to come up with several sentences containing different combinations of the two.

**Idiot Shizuru.**

**Shizuru's a big idiot.**

**Idiotic Shizuru.**

**Shizuru the idiot**_**.**_

Natsuki read over her handiwork and growled. She resisted the urge to tear the page away and throw it out of the window plus along with it, the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Instead, Natsuki closed her eyes and massaged her temples. She needed to calm down. _**'Why are you making me feel this way Shizuru?'**_

It made no difference when Natsuki opened her eyes again. She still felt restless, depressed and tired, all at the same time. She exhaled and grabbed her pencil once more. She put the lead against the paper and started to draw without thinking. She found herself drawing a heart. Then she put Shizuru's name inside the empty shape. Natsuki put her pencil away. She used her fingers to slowly trace the heart enclosing Shizuru's name. _**'Is this really how feel about you?' **_she wondered wistfully. _**'If I ask you for a button now, would you give it to me?'**_

Natsuki was jolted out of her thoughts when the notebook suddenly disappeared from under her hand.

"Kuga! Stop daydreaming in my class!" Midori chastised sharply. Natsuki took notice of the displeased teacher for the first time. She didn't know when Midori got to her desk. Natsuki opened her mouth to explain but nothing came out. She was too stupefied to come up with any excuse

"What in the world is so important that you-," Midori glanced down at the book and suddenly became speechless. Natsuki knew the young teacher could see her drawing. Her panic grew. She felt vulnerable. She couldn't take it if Midori were to make a public laugh show out of her right now.

Midori's eyes met Natsuki's dazed yet fretful ones. She smiled sympathetically and handed the book back to frightened girl. "Focus on the lesson," she reproached before heading back to the front of the class.

Relief washed over Natsuki but only until the book was snatched from her hands again. This time, the culprit was Mai. Natsuki wanted to wrestle the book back from the other girl but she didn't want to cause a commotion. Therefore, she resulted to her death glare which unfortunately, had no effect on her Mai.

Her nosy friend scanned the last page and frowned. Mai shot Natsuki a questioning glance. She then picked up her pencil and jotted something down in the notebook. Mai passed the book back to it's owner.

Natsuki surreptitiously examined what Mai had written. Below the drawing of Shizuru's name in a heart was a message from her friend. 'We'll talk after school,' it said.

Natsuki didn't have the will to be stubborn anymore. She met Mai's concerned eyes and nodded.

* * *

Same day – Evening - the road back to Natsuki's house

When school finally ended, Mai and Natsuki began walking back to Natsuki's apartment together.

They were both quiet. Natsuki wasn't in the mood for chit chat. In addition to being sleep deprived, she had a lot of things going through her mind.

Natsuki needed to talk to someone and she hoped that Mai would be able to give her some useful advice. What was happening between Shizuru and her was a problem and when solving a problem, two heads were always better than one. She and Mai were going to assess all the details of this problem and sort everything out like adults. _**'Yep, that's what we're gonna do,'**_ she reasoned. At least that's what Natsuki thought initially.

However, Natsuki's resolve was slowly weakening as she neared her apartment. She had gone through an emotional rollercoaster today and it was beginning to take a toll on her. When they got to her apartment door, Natsuki fumbled with her book bag for her keys. When she found them, she had a hard time unlocking the door because her hands shook too much. She was doing her best not to let her emotions take over but she was fighting a losing battle.

Thankfully, Mai took the keys from her trembling hands and unlocked the door for the both of them.

Mai yelped when Natsuki took that opportunity to abruptly push the two of them inside her apartment. She leaned back and slammed the door shut with her body. Then all strength seem to go out of Natsuki. Her legs gave out and she crumbled to the floor.

"NATSUKI!" Mai keeled down on the floor beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm in big t-trouble," Natsuki stuttered, her breathing started to quicken.

"Why?"

Natsuki buried her face in her hands. "Oh Mai, I t-think I'm i-in love with S-Shizuru," she sobbed.

Then Natsuki did the one thing she had been wanting to do all day.

She cried her heart out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Angsty Natsuki will be angsty.**

Same day – After School - Fuuka Gakuen Student Council Room

While Natsuki was crying in turmoil, Shizuru was stuck alone in Fuuka Gakuen Student Council Room with work.

Shizuru's desk was buried under mountains of paperwork that needed to be looked over. They ranged from school repairs to club activities. As the Fuuka Gakuen Student Council President, Shizuru was expected to go above and beyond what was required of a regular Student Council President.

Shizuru checked her watch. It was nearly six o'clock and she barely scratched the surface.

"Working hard I see," a soft voice said. A familiar figure entered the room.

Shizuru smiled. "I'm afraid so," she replied. "But you know I rather be doing something else, Kikukawa-san."

Yukino nodded. "I feel the same way."

They shared a smile. "Are you about to head back?" Shizuru asked.

"Yes, but I came here because there's something I wanted to show you," Yukino said with barely contained excitement. She fished in her book bag. When she found the item, she held it up for the other girl to see.

Shizuru gasped. A glint of excitement flared in her red eyes. "You're brilliant, Kikukawa-san! How in the world did you manage to get that?" she asked.

"I got lucky that's all ... And I didn't get it just for me," Yukino winked. "I got it for _us_."

The happy sparkle in Shizuru's eyes grew brighter. "Oh Kikukawa-san, I could ask you to marry me right now!"

Yukino giggled. "Would you like to have a go at it?"

Shizuru rubbed her chin in contemplation. "Now? Ara, I don't know. I do have all this paperwork I need to look over."

"I can help you with that later," Yukino offered with a knowing smile.

"Then it's settled! We shall go back to my room right now!" A very excited Shizuru took Yukino by the wrist and rocketed out of the Student Council without wasting another second.

* * *

Same day – Several Hours later - Natsuki's Apartment

Natsuki did nothing but cry for an hour or two. Mai had patiently waited beside her friend. Natsuki had cried until she was too tired to do so anymore. When the tears finally stopped, the first thing Mai did was force feed Natsuki. Just by looking, Mai could tell that her friend hadn't been eating or sleeping properly. Mai made sure Natsuki was well fed and resting comfortably on the couch. Only then she asked her distressed friend about what had happened.

Although a bit reluctant at first, Natsuki explained everything that had happened between Shizuru and her. As Natsuki was finishing her story, they heard a knock at the door.

Mai answered it. Two uniformed Fuuka Students stood on the other side. It was Nao and Chie.

"Yo," Nao grunted.

"Good evening, Mai-kun," Chie, the more sociable one of the two greeted.

Mai gave them both a small wave. "Hey you two! Come on in."

"We came over because we were worried," Chie said, following Mai inside. She took a seat next to Natsuki on the couch and tossed the girl a warm smile. "Is everything all right? How's our little Natsuki-chan?"

"Been better," Natsuki croaked with a weary smile.

Chie's brows rose. The Ice-Princess had let her get away with the nickname, 'Natsuki-chan.' Her worries doubled.

Nao also shared Chie's concerns but she was less subtle in expressing them. "Oi Kuga, your eyes are red. Have you been crying?"

Natsuki wrecked her numb brain for a quick dismissal. She just explained everything to Mai and she really didn't feel like starting all over again. Plus, she didn't want Nao to make fun of her dilemma. Thankfully, Mai came to her rescue. "Everything is all right, Nao," her friend said.

"Eh? Then why does Kuga look like shit?" the young red-head rebutted.

"Give her a break, Nao," Mai reprimanded. "The issue is very personal and it's kind of hard for Natsuki to talk about it ...," Mai trailed off, hoping Nao would get the hint.

The red-head couldn't rationalize what Mai had said. "Personal? Come on! How bad could it be? What could possibly have happened that the mutt can't talk-" Nao's speech came to an abrupt halt. Her eyes went wide as a realization hit her. "O-oi Kuga, you didn't get- ... D-D-Did you g-get r-r-raped?" Nao's trepidation quickly turned into anger. "T-TELL ME WHO DID IT? IMMA BEAT THE SHIT OUTTA HIM!"

"N-No! It's not that you idiot!" Natsuki blushed, exasperated that Nao would jump to that conclusion.

Chie also had her worries. "Hmm, that's a relief to hear Natsuki-kun but if that's not the case then ... then ... A-Are you- ... Y-You're not pregnant, are you?"

"WHAT? Kuga, are you really p-p-p-p-p-," Nao stuttered in panic.

"I'M NOT PREGNANT YOU NITWITS!" Natsuki yelled at the two. She didn't know where they were getting these ideas from. "Mai, could you just tell them what's going on before they jump to anymore ridiculous conclusions?" she begged.

Mai was kind enough to relay everything that Natsuki had told her. The two newcomers listened quietly until Mai was finished.

Nao was the first to criticize. "THAT'S what you two fought about? Just say sorry and be done with it!"

"She's right, Natsuki. I don't want to be mean but it is _your_ fault," Mai said.

"I know that already and I'm going to say sorry!" Natsuki mumbled with a disgruntled sulk. "You guys don't get it! Shizuru and I fought before but it was never like this. This is the first time she stopped talking to me for weeks. I-I must have done something to really tick her off."

Mai shook her head. "Don't think about unnecessary things. Just apologize first. Kaichou-sama is probably waiting for you to come talk to her."

Natsuki nodded. "I-I suppose you're right. What about- ... you know- ... the other thing?" she asked with a small blush.

Mai smirked. "What other thing?" She knew exactly what Natsuki was talking about but feigned otherwise. She wanted the other girl to say it out loud.

Natsuki's face flushed a darker shade of red as she continued to prattle. "Y-You know, a-about me and S-Shizuru ... erm ..."

The three other girls groaned in unison. "Kuga, just say it already! You. Like. Fujino! We all know it!" Nao snapped. Natsuki's blush spread to her ears and neck when she heard the red-head's blunt words.

"If you can't say it to us then how are you going to say it to Kaichou-sama?" Mai scolded her.

"But Mai, do I really have to confess first?" Natsuki sniveled. "I-I'm so bad at it. Can't I just drop hints and let Shizuru do it instead?" There was also something else to worry about. Natsuki and all her friends knew Shizuru had feelings for her before but now, she wasn't so sure anymore. The older girl hadn't said anything about it in ages. "What if Shizuru doesn't feel the same way anymore?" she asked.

Mai exhaled tiredly. "Didn't you tell Kaichou-sama that you just want to be friends?"

"Yeah?"

"Then knowing Kaichou-sama, she's going to try her best not to force herself on you. So even if she still feels the same way, she probably won't tell you. There is no other way around this, Natsuki. You HAVE to make the first move," Mai explained.

Her friend had a point and Natsuki had no room to argue. She was going to have to confess to Shizuru. The very thought of it made her heart beat abnormally fast.

"Hmmm," Chie made a speculative sound. She looked deep in thought. It intrigued the other three girls in the room.

"What are you thinking, Four-eyes?" Nao asked the raven-head.

"O-Oh, it's nothing ... I think," Chie replied.

Chie's answer intrigued them even more. "What it is?" Natsuki inquired.

"Well," Chie took a deep breath. "I've just been hearing rumors about Kaichou-sama and Kikukawa-san." She shifted apprehensively in her seat before she went on. "They are said to be … dating."

"WHAT?!" Natsuki hollered. Everyone was stunned from the news just delivered by the gossip queen of Fuuka Gakuen. "Is that really true? A-are you sure about it?" Natsuki asked. Her voice cracked and she felt a familiar sting in her eyes. She was barely holding back the tears. _**'Did Shizuru really move on?'**_

"Well, according to Kaichou-sama's neighbors, Kikukawa-san visits Kaichou-sama every evening and she doesn't leave until it's nearly midnight," Chie explained. "I've ... also seen them leaving the school together."

"Chie-san! Why didn't you say anything before?" Mai exclaimed.

"I just thought they were discussing Student Council business! They walk back together quite often. They've been doing that ever since I've known them. I'm surprised Natsuki hadn't noticed," Chie said. "On the bright side, these rumors didn't come out until people found out about Kaichou-sama's sexuality so we can't know for sure. The rumors might be false."

"They have to be false!" Mai said forcefully. "Kaichou-sama is in love with Natsuki! She probably still is! She just doesn't seem like the type to move on that fast!"

"Mai, this is Fujino we're talking about," Nao deadpanned. "She's the hunka hunka burning love of Fuuka Gakuen. She practically has the whole school chasing her around. I wouldn't be surprised if she did move on."

Natsuki paled. Mai immediately put her arms around the shaky girl "Not helping, Nao," she snapped.

"I'm just telling you guys to keep an open mind. Maybe she got over Kuga. Maybe she's seeing someone else now," Nao said defensively.

Mai was still befuddled. "But- ... But with Yukino-san?"

Nao shrugged. "Maybe she's into girls with glasses, you know, dorky looking girls."

This time, Natsuki's tears did fall but she wiped them away with her sleeves quickly. "I need to go," she said and tried to shrug Mai's hand off but the other girl held her in place.

"Wha- ... Where are you going?" Mai asked.

"To Kikukawa's room. I need to know if all of this is true. I'm gonna go ask her right now," Natsuki said.

"Don't be rash, Natsuki-kun. Let's think about it a little bit more," Chie tried to console her friend but Natsuki shook her head.

"Nearly three weeks, I've been doing nothing but thinking. Now I want answers and I want them now," Natsuki said. Her pleading eyes met Mai's concerned ones. "Please, I need to."

To Natsuki's relief, Mai finally nodded with a reassuring smile, "Alright, but I'm coming with you."

"Okay." A few minutes later, Natsuki marched out of her apartment with three worried friends following close behind.

* * *

Same Evening – A few minutes later - Fuuka Gakuen Dormitories

Natsuki, Mai, Nao and Chie headed towards the Fuuka dormitories where Haruka and Yukino shared a room.

The whole way, Mai had been telling Natsuki to calm down, expect the worst but hope for the best. When they finally arrived in front of Yukino's door, Natsuki gave a sharp knock and impatiently waited for someone to answer.

"Hold on." They heard a muffled gruff voice. No doubt, it belonged to Haruka.

The door opened not long after. "Hey," Haruka greeted but frowned when she saw the crowd of people gathered at the door. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Can we speak to Kikukawa?" Natsuki asked. "There's something I need to ask her."

Haruka shook her head. "She's out," she answered, much to everyone's dismay. "Actually, I'm about to head out too so if you all don't mind-"

"Do you know where we can find Kikukawa-san?" Chie probed. Natsuki was getting more restless by the minute and they wanted answers, fast.

"Well, she's over at Fujino's right now," Haruka said. "In fact … Kuga, I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

Natsuki's interest was instantly piqued. "What is it?" she asked.

"You and Bubuzuke are close right? D-Do you know if there's something going on between her and Yukino?" the blonde asked with a tint of anxiousness in her voice. "Yukino has been coming back to the room pretty late. She spends a lot of time in Bubuzuke's room. I-It's not something new though. They've been doing this for a while and I thought nothing of it. But- ... but after I found out that Bubuzuke likes g-girls, I don't know what to think anymore. So I keep wondering if the two of them are- .. erm ..."

_**'So Suzushiro noticed it too,' **_Natsuki thought with a painful pang inside her chest. Maybe Yukino was the reason why Shizuru didn't come over to her apartment anymore. _**'No, I shouldn't be assuming. I should ask Kikukawa first ... or Shizuru.' **_She couldn't allow herself to give up just yet. "We were wondering the same thing," Natsuki replied Haruka with an honest answer.

"O-Oh, all right ... " Haruka tried to sound nonchalant about it but her edgy demeanor said otherwise. "Well, I'm about to head over to Bubuzuke's room to see what's going on? You guys wanna come with?"

Natsuki didn't trust herself to speak. She was also a nervous wreck herself. She gave a silent nod and the group of girls started heading for Shizuru's room.

* * *

Same night – A few minutes later – On the way to Shizuru's dorm

Shizuru lived in the same building as Haruka but on a different floor. The group had started trudging their way to Shizuru's dorm room. Haruka and Natsuki were being so quiet to the point that they were making the other three girls uncomfortable. Mai tried to make some small talk on the way to ease the tension.

"So Suzushiro-san, I see that your malapropism is getting better," said Mai.

"Yeah, Yukino's been helping out."

"That's good!" After that, the conversation was dead again. Natsuki didn't help matters by emitting an air of trepidation.

After what seemed like a long awkward journey over a flight of stairs, they were finally at their destination.

"We're here," Haruka announced. This time, no reprimanding look from Mai could stop Natsuki from pounding on Shizuru's door. She banged on the door for a while. Haruka signaled Natsuki to stop after the 6th knock. The blonde pressed her ears against the door. Also curious, Natsuki mirrored her actions.

"Can you hear anything?" Nao whispered.

Haruka and Natsuki shushed the red-head. They both continued to listen intently. Then Natsuki heard it. She heard voices coming from the other side of the door.

"Who do you think it is?" a voice said.

"Ara, I don't know but I'm too busy to care. Maybe if we're really quiet, they'll go away," another voice answered.

Haruka heard the voices too and her anger instantly shot through the roof. "WE CAN HEAR YOU, IDIOTS!" she shouted. "I'M NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR!"

Surprisingly enough, the door opened soon after Haruka's outburst.

A peeved and agitated Shizuru came to view. Natsuki examined the older girl up and down. She checked to see if there was anything that might suggest that Shizuru and Yukino were doing something intimate. The older girl was still wearing her school uniform and nothing looked out of the ordinary. Natsuki felt relieved but not for long. She needed to confirm her suspicions with Shizuru. Depending on the older girl's answer, Natsuki would decide whether or not to tell Shizuru about her feelings.

Natsuki took a deep breath._** 'This is it,'** _she thought. She didn't know what was going to happen from this point on but she wanted to give it all her best before giving up on Shizuru. _**'I'll ask to speak with her in private. I'll apologize first. Then I'll ask her about Kikukawa.' **_With that in mind, Natsuki spoke, "Shizuru, there's something I need ask you."

"Yeah, me too," Haruka added.

Shizuru held up her hands to stop them both from speaking further. "Ara, I am sure whatever you have to say is very important but I am extremely busy right now. So you will have to talk to me tomorrow. I apologize for any inconveniences." Shizuru spoke with the speed that would make a bullet envious. The door slammed in the visitors' faces as soon as she was done talking.

The five astounded girls gawked at the closed door.

Haruka turned to Natsuki. "Did she ... Did she just-" she sputtered.

"Told us to piss off because she's too damn busy to hear what we have to say," Natsuki finished for Haruka with barely restrained anger.

"And then she-?"

"Slammed the door in our faces? Yes, she did," Natsuki growled.

"AH, HELL NO!" Haruka roared. She took several steps away from the door. "STAND BACK!" she ordered and nobody argued with her. When the area around the door was cleared, Haruka made a mad dash towards it. She collided with the door, causing it to break away from its hinges. The door fell down with a loud thud.

"YOU CAN'T DISS ME THAT EASILY BUBUZUKE!" Haruka yelled and proceeded to charge into Shizuru's room.

If Natsuki's mind wasn't so preoccupied, she would commend Haruka's strength. "Better follow her," Chie reminded and they all ran in after the blonde.

Natsuki didn't know what she should be expecting when she entered Shizuru's room but she certainly wasn't expecting to see Shizuru and Yukino situated side by side at the dining table. Each had their own laptops in front of them.

"Haruka-chan!" Yukino exclaimed in surprise but didn't get up from her seat.

Shizuru on the other hand, stood up looking exceedingly infuriated. She pointed at the broken door. "Was that really necessary?" she demanded in a clipped tone.

Haruka ignored her question. "What the hell is this?" the blonde asked, gesturing at the set up in the room.

Natsuki was also quite puzzled. "What are you two doing?" she asked.

"We've lost another tank! Kaichou-sama, you're our only tank left!" Yukino suddenly yelped. "No! The mage and healers are dying!" The girl began to click away on her mouse at an alarmingly fast speed.

"No!" Shizuru's focus shifted from the intruders to her laptop. She sat down and started mimicking Yukino's actions.

"What's a tank?" Nao wondered out loud.

Chie was also at a loss. "Beats me."

"A mage?" Mai uttered.

Haruka and Natsuki could only shrug. They too didn't know what was going on.

Yukino sucked in an annoyed breath. "Our two healers just died and the third one's almost dead," she said.

"Healer?" Natsuki muttered. It was beginning to sound more familiar now. Natsuki had heard these terms constantly being used in role playing games.

"But how-" Shizuru stammered.

Yukino sighed. "It happened while you were answering the door," she said.

"Damn it all!" Shizuru exclaimed, surprising several people in the room except Yukino. This was the first time they heard her curse.

"Third healer is dead. No one is healing us now!" Yukino informed. Not a second after, the girl threw up her hands in exasperation "And I just died!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Haruka asked. Since no one was in the mood to answer any questions, Natsuki decided to go and stand behind Shizuru and Yukino to see what they were doing.

"I'm the only one left!" Shizuru said as she desperately clicked on her mouse. "No … NO! The monsters are all ganging up on me! Blasted! I'm dead!" She thumped her hands on the dining table with an agonized grunt.

Yukino started typing on her laptop. "Kaichou-sama, Tejari messaged me. He said you are a horrible group leader."

"Great! Now my reputation is ruined!" Shizuru spat.

Natsuki shook her head, "Oh, please. You're overreacting. It's just a game." That was what the big fuss was about. Shizuru and Yukino were playing a massive multiplayer online game.

"Just a game?" Shizuru stood up. Her glare was set on Natsuki. "Kikukawa-san was kind enough to get us the latest expansion for this computer game! A special event is being held for a small group of privileged individuals like us, who managed to get the game before its official release. We only get one chance. ONE! To complete this dungeon and we failed because you all kept DISTURBING US!"

Natsuki's jaw dropped. Was Shizuru serious? It was just a game and the older girl looked like she was about to lose it.

"Could you forget about your stupid game and listen to me for one second?" Natsuki snapped. Her patience was thinning out with every passing moment.

Shizuru let out a bitter chuckle. "So this is a stupid game, is it? You were quick to yell at me when I interrupted your video game. In fact! That's it, isn't it? This is revenge for that time I interrupted you. You are doing this to spite me!"

"What? You think I'm that childish?" Natsuki seethed. Her anger was about to hit its boiling point.

"Ara, I don't recall you acting very mature that night when you were yelling at me like a spoiled brat," Shizuru said, her anger matching that of Natsuki.

"And you're a damn hypocrite because you're acting the same way right now!" Natsuki retorted.

"At least I didn't break down your door like a barbarian!" Shizuru snapped back quickly.

It was then that everything began to get out of hand. Natsuki marched towards Shizuru. Everyone started yelling at the same time; some were protesting while others panicked. Mai, who still had a steady head, threw herself between Shizuru and Natsuki before the chaos broke out. If the anger driven Natsuki did get to Shizuru then who knew what she would have done. Shizuru was also not helping the situation by uncharacteristically fanning the flames with her taunts.

Mai waited until she had a firm hold of both Natsuki's shirt and Shizuru's arm before screaming. "SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!"

To Mai's surprise, the yelling died down and all the attention focused on her. Mai sighed in relief. She kept her hold on both Shizuru and Natsuki just in case before speaking in a much quieter tone. "Now Natsuki, didn't you have a question for Kaichou-sama?"

Natsuki and Shizuru were locked in a glaring match. Mai was worried that her friend wasn't going to listen but then Natsuki spoke in a strained voice, "Yes," she said.

"Well … aren't you going to ask her?" Mai encouraged the other girl.

Shizuru scoffed. "Don't tell me you broke down my door just because you want to ask a question? This is more stupid-"

"Kaichou-sama! Please just let Natsuki ask the question!" Mai scolded the older girl.

"Fine! Ask me that damnable question but this has better be good!" Shizuru jeered.

Natsuki was instantly incensed. "Damnable question? Why you-"

"Natsuki! Can you just ask the question? Please?" Mai pleaded, trying to keep both girls on track.

"Fine! Shizuru, are you dating Kikukawa?" Natsuki asked.

Shizuru was flabbergasted by the question. "Wha- What kind of stupid question is that?"

Right then, Natsuki's anger finally peaked. "JUST ANSWER IT DAMMIT! ARE YOU OR ARE YOU NOT?" she shouted.

Shizuru also blew her top "I'M NOT!" she yelled back.

"FINE THEN!"

"FINE! ARE WE DONE HERE?"

"I GUESS WE ARE!"

Both Shizuru and Natsuki brushed Mai's hands off and turned their backs to each other. They both began to take off in opposite directions. Shizuru headed for her dining table while Natsuki strode towards the front entrance.

"Wha-ah, h-hey! Wait a minute! Natsuki, d-don't you want to say something more?" Mai asked frantically.

Natsuki stopped walking and whipped around. This gave Mai some hope. The situation may yet be salvageable.

Shizuru still had her back to Natsuki. The younger girl's glare softened. It wasn't her intention to fight with Shizuru like this. Natsuki wasn't the one who broke down Shizuru's door but she didn't exactly stop Haruka from doing it. So it was partially her fault. She made a mistake. "It was a mistake-" Natsuki began but Shizuru cut her off.

"Yes, you made a big mistake coming here. Everything was fine until you came along," she shot back before Natsuki could finish.

Mai gasped. She looked to Natsuki and saw the damage those words had done. Tears were welling up in her friend's eyes.

Natsuki disappeared from her spot before Mai could do anything about it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Death by Xbox!**

Same night – Same time - Shizuru's dorm

Natsuki had just ran out of Shizuru's dorm room.

Mai turned to Shizuru. For once, she was ready to give the other girl a piece of her mind. "KAICHOU-SAMA! YOU IDIOT!" she yelled.

"That was a dick move Fujino," Nao agreed.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Haruka smacked Shizuru's arm, earning a disconcerted look from the latter.

Shizuru rubbed her arm gingerly. "Yes, I acted like a jerk. It's all my fault. I admit it. Now, could you all just leave?" she said in a bored tone.

"No! I KNOW you acted like a jerk! I saw it all!" Mai snapped. "What I want to know is WHY you acted like one!" she demanded.

"The raid was interrupted," Shizuru answered as if that answer alone explained everything.

"Raid?" Mai echoed.

"It's our computer game," Yukino explicated further.

Mai was baffled. "You did all that for a computer game?" She couldn't believe it. She thought Shizuru was more mature than that. "Natsuki did the same thing and you got _mad _at her! Something doesn't add up here!"

Chie also expressed her confusion. "Yes, I also find it hard to believe that you acted the way you did just for a computer game Kaichou-sama."

Haruka chipped in her two cents. "Bubuzuke, I know you and Yukino are crazy about this computer game crap but I know you're not THAT crazy," she said. "You're head over heels for Kuga so why were so mean to her?"

Shizuru shrugged her shoulders. "Ara, did you not hear the way Natsuki talked to me? She's so rude and disrespectful. Why shouldn't I be mean to her?"

"Kuga's always been that way! Why are you complaining now?" inquired Haruka.

"Maybe I'm getting tired of her," Shizuru retorted.

"Oh, cut the bullshit Bubuzuke!" Haruka snapped. "That was some really good acting just now but I know you. I know how far you would go for this girl. Yukino and I tasted that first hand remember? Don't expect me to believe that you're mad at her for something as petty as a computer game because I don't buy it! Don't tell me you're tired of her like she's some passing fancy. We both know that's not true! What you did to Kuga just now was uncalled for. So cut the damn act and tell me what the hell is going on with you!"

Shizuru bristled when she heard Haruka's implicative words. They all knew that anything related to the Hime Carnival was a sore subject for Shizuru. The said girl looked like she wanted to argue but she didn't. Instead, Shizuru sighed deeply and started pacing while exuding an air of quiet distress.

"You better start talking Bubuzuke because I'm not leaving until you do," Haruka persisted.

Mai was also adamant. "That's right! We're not going anywhere until you explain yourself."

Shizuru still remained silent. Nao rolled her eyes. "Jeez, what's the big deal? Just tell us already."

Haruka was getting impatient. "I know how you can be borderline introverted Bubuzuke but you're going to tell me what's going on whether you like it or not!"

Shizuru stopped pacing. She breathed out another sigh while wearing an anxious grimace on her face. "Very well. I will explain but only if you all promise that this conversation doesn't leave this room."

"Fine," Haruka agreed and the others nodded hurriedly. They were all eager to hear what Shizuru had to say.

"There _is_ a reason why I was a bit harsh to Natsuki," Shizuru said. She took a breath before she spoke again. "You are all aware of my affections for Natsuki, yes?"

Everyone nodded and Shizuru continued. "Well, I don't stand a chance with her. She had said so herself but she still wanted us to be friends ... ... That is something I absolutely cannot do. Maybe in the near future but not right now. I still harbor ... romantic feelings for Natsuki. I need to get over her but I can't do that if I'm around her every day. I thought of telling Natsuki about this but I know she won't have any of it. She'll probably find a way to keep me around. Every single day I thought about how I should solve my predicament and a few weeks ago I had an idea."

Shizuru went on. "My idea was that ... if Natsuki and I were to fight then she wouldn't want to be around me. She'd hate me and who'd want to be around someone they hate? So ... I decided to go ahead with this idea …" Shizuru rubbed her neck. Her uneasy demeanor showed how uncomfortable she was. In her own way, Shizuru was as bad as Natsuki when it came to expressing herself.

Chie was the first of the stunned group of girls who found her voice. "So your plan was to make Natsuki-kun hate you so that she doesn't want to hang out you?" she asked in disbelief.

Shizuru nodded.

Nao let out a loud snort. "What kind of stupid ass plan is that?" she said.

Shizuru gave a small huff. "I thought it was a very good idea. Did you not see how much Natsuki despise me now?"

Chie scratched her head. "Kaichou-sama, have you ever considered that you might be hurting Natsuki-kun in the process?"

Shizuru smiled bitterly. "In order to make Natsuki mad at me, I had to hurt her feelings somehow. It was inevitable. I tried not to be so cruel. I just took the video game issue and blew it out of proportion. As you all know, it's rather easy to get Natsuki worked up," she said with a small fond smile. "I ... I just need some time to myself. The sooner I get over Natsuki, the sooner I can be a good friend to her."

Shizuru went on. "I also hope that this will give Natsuki the opportunity to reach out to other people ... like Masashi-san. From what I gather, he is quite taken with her. He's a a good man. Natsuki deserves someone like him. If I'm around her, I'll only get in the way. Nothing good will come out of mine and Natsuki's friendship for now ... ... So I think this is the best."

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Chie asked.

"Until I can get over her," Shizuru answered simply. "I can also come up with more excuses to fight. Then there's graduation ..."

"Why can't you just tell Kuga that you want to be left alone?" Haruka asked.

Shizuru shook her head. "Because I know Natsuki. She would try to go out with me ... out of pity. That's the last thing I want Suzushiro-san," she said.

"Ooooo! I want to be so mad at you!" Mai snapped. She took a menacing step towards Shizuru while doing a strangling motion with her hands as if she was trying to wring an invisible neck. Surprised and a bit scared, Shizuru took several steps back from Mai. Haruka, who stood next to Shizuru also mimicked her actions. "I want to be SO mad at you," Mai continued. "But I can't because you're going through your own problems! ARRGH! Kaichou-sama you're such a big BIG idiot. Natsuki and you, you're both SO FRUSTRATING!"

Shizuru nudged Haruka, "Why is Tokiha-san so mad?" she whispered.

Haruka shrugged.

"O-Oi Mai, calm down. You're scaring us," Nao said.

Mai was still not done. "She likes you Kaichou-sama! There! I've said it. Natsuki likes you! She might even love you and I'm not talking about love between friends. I'm talking about the kind of love that's between the sheets!"

"She wants to be sex friends?" the confused Haruka asked.

Shizuru yelped in shock. "N-Natsuki wants to be friends with benefits?"

Mai slapped her forehead. "NO! Were you not listening at all! Natsuki loves you Kaichou-sama! LOVE! It's the intimate kind! Like love between Romeo and Juliet. It's a boyfriend-girlfriend kind of love! Natsuki WANTS to be your girlfriend!"

Shizuru still appeared skeptic although Mai just spelled everything out. "That's simply ... impossible," she said.

"HERE!" Mai shouted. She threw something in Shizuru's direction.

The other girl caught the object with ease. "What's this?" she asked.

"I took it from Natsuki's book bag. I brought it with me just in case something like this happened," Mai said. "It's Natsuki's notebook. Turn to the last page."

Shizuru did as she was told.

"Do you see it?" Mai asked.

Shizuru stared at the page briefly before replying. "Ara, yes. I don't know what point you're trying to make here Tokiha-san but this just proves that Natsuki hates me," she said.

"WHAT?" Mai squawked. "Are you serious?! Can you not see what's on there?!"

"Ah yes, I do see it," Shizuru reaffirmed. "I see several sentences in Natsuki's handwriting where she repeatedly establishes the fact that I am an idiot," she elaborated.

Mai walked over to Shizuru with a miffed grunt. "Not that! Here!" She jabbed her finger on a sketch located on the lower part of the book page. It was a heart with Shizuru's name inside it.

Shizuru stilled when she saw the rough drawing. Mai kept quiet and didn't disturb the frozen girl anymore. She knew Shizuru needed a moment to absorb everything.

Shizuru was staring at the image on the page. She stared hard at it. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. After a moment, Shizuru's intent gaze shifted from the page to Mai. She looked at the younger girl searchingly. "T-This is my name. It's ...written in Natsuki's handwriting," Shizuru uttered.

"Yes, it is. I caught her doodling that in class today," Mai explained.

"Kaichou-sama," Chie started. "This last few weeks has been hard for Natsuki-kun. She is very upset about this whole fight between you two."

"Oh, come off it, Chie! The mutt's more than upset," Nao growled. "Fujino, we all saw you in school today. You were walking down the hallway with your fan girls slobbering all over you. The mutt almost cried when she saw that! No ... scratch that! She DID cry! She looked like she just got done crying when we got to her house this evening! Isn't that right Mai? You were with her the whole evening weren't you?"

Shizuru's red eyes bore down on Mai. It was a silent request for an affirmation.

"W-Well … she ..." Mai was reluctant to say anything. She knew Natsuki wouldn't like it if she told anyone.

But Nao wasn't going to give Mai a chance to back out. "Don't make me get you banned from the Karaoke bar! Tell the truth dammit!" It might have been an empty threat from Nao but Mai didn't want to take any chances when it came to Karaoke.

"Yes she was. I walked back with her after school. Natsuki was in tears as soon as we got to her apartment."

Shizuru face became ashen when Mai confirmed. "I made Natsuki cry?" she croaked. "I never intended to make her cry. I wanted to make her angry but I never thought I'd hurt her to the point that she would-"

"Kaichou-sama, she is IN LOVE with you. How would you feel if the person you love is being really mean to you?" Mai asked. She wanted to get her point across but took pity when she saw how stricken Shizuru looked. "Your so-called 'plan' had one big flaw ... You mean more to Natsuki than anything so no matter what you do, she'll never hate you."

Mai could see a lot of emotions passing through Shizuru's face. The older girl was shocked, sad, hurt, aggravated and finally, it all settled to anger. Shizuru rolled her hands into fists. She brought one up to bludgeon her own forehead. "I'm so stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! How could I make Natsuki cry!" she berated herself.

"Erm," Nao spoke. "Actually, Kuga looked like she was about to cry when she ran out of here. Maybe one of us should follow her."

"She was about to cry again!?" Shizuru exclaimed. She groaned and hit her head with her rolled up fist once more. "It's because of what I said, isn't it? … Oh! How could I do this to her? I'm such an insensitive idiot!" Then, without a warning, Shizuru bolted from her spot and out through her room entrance.

"Where are you going?" Mai asked but Shizuru was already gone.

"I'm going after her," Haruka said and ran out of the door-less entrance.

Nao followed suit. "Me too. I'm worried about the mutt," she said.

"Let me and Yukino-kun fix this door. You go after them Mai-kun," Chie said.

Mai could only give a small nod of acknowledgment before running after her troublesome friends.

* * *

Same night – Fifteen minutes before - Natsuki's Apartment

Natsuki finally let her tears fall when she got to her apartment. She closed the door and slumped to the floor for the second time that day.

Natsuki felt so incompetent. The rumor about Yukino and Shizuru dating weren't true. Things should have gotten better after that but instead, everything went straight to hell and it was all her fault. She was supposed to tell Shizuru about her feelings. She was supposed to reconcile with Shizuru but she ended up making things worse. She let her anger get the best of her again. Not only did she lose her chances of being together with Shizuru, she also lost the older girl as a friend. The thought of it made her heart wrench, the thought of losing Shizuru forever ...

Only now, Natsuki's mind was coming up with all the things she could have done to prevent this problem. If only she held in her anger. If only she wasn't so childish about her video game. **_'That stupid video game!' _**Natsuki was reminded of the cause of all this. She didn't even want to look at her Xbox360 console. Ever since that fight with Shizuru, she hadn't touched it. This whole disaster started because she was addicted to her Xbox360. If she didn't have that in her life, this fight would have never happened and Shizuru would still be here.

With a determined grunt, Natsuki got off the floor and headed towards the TV station. She picked up her game console that was sitting next to the TV. The Xbox360 still had some wires attached to it but she roughly yanked them out. She walked to the window while holding the Xbox360 over her head.

_ **'If I didn't have this thing … if this thing didn't exist in my life then I would still have Shizuru with me!'** _With that thought, Natsuki flung the Xbox360 out the window. Then she slammed her windows shut. She lived on the top floor of a two-story apartment so she was confident that the Xbox360 would shatter from the impact with the ground but she didn't care. That was the idea after all. She wanted to destroy the thing because of what it made her do … "I never want to see another Xbox ever again. Good riddance!" she declared.

Feeling minutely satisfied, Natsuki decided to head for her bedroom. The Xbox360 had done its damage. All there was left to do was cry herself to sleep and hope that she will feel better the next day. However, Natsuki didn't know how that was going to happen yet because right now, she felt like she could never find happiness again if there was no Shizuru in her life.

* * *

Same day – Around the same time - on the road to Natsuki's Apartment.

Haruka, Mai and Nao figured Shizuru would go to Natsuki's apartment. They were currently having a small problem with chasing down Shizuru ... they couldn't catch up to her.

"D-damn … that Bubuzuke ...why the hell … does she have ... to run so damn fast!" Haruka wheezed. She was jogging after Shizuru along with Mai and Nao. They had been running like their lives depended on it but Shizuru was still nowhere in sight. They were getting close to Natsuki's apartment. They just had to turn one corner and they were there.

"I see her!" Mai said

Haruka couldn't but she kept running anyways. They finally turned a corner. The three of them were now heading down the street towards Natsuki's apartment. Then Haruka saw her. Shizuru was zooming in the direction of the two-story building where Natsuki lived. Haruka was almost relieved until-

"What's that?" Nao asked. Haruka squinted. A square looking box seem to appear out of thin air. Haruka couldn't make out what it was but to her horror, Shizuru was going to run right under it.

"BUBUZUKE! WATCH OUT!" she yelled but it was too late.

She heard a loud metallic clunk. Haruka winced. She closed her eyes, not daring to watch. When she opened them a second later, she saw a crumpled heap of a human form lying in front of Natsuki's apartment building.

"KAICHOU-SAMA!"

"BUBUZUKE!"

They all dashed towards the injured girl.

"BUBUZUKE! ARE YOU- AHHHHHH!" Haruka was about to bend down and inspect Shizuru when the said girl's limp body sprung back to life. It nearly gave the blonde a heart attack. Shizuru was quickly back on her feet again.

In spite of the quick recovery, Shizuru's body was wobbly. "Bubuzuke! Are you alright?" Haruka held Shizuru's shoulders to keep her steady.

The other girl shrugged off Haruka's hands. "Ara, I'm quite all right Suzushiro-san," she insisted nonchalantly.

"Like hell you are! You just got hit by … by … what was that thing that hit her?" Haruka asked her two companions.

"It's an Xbox360," Nao said.

"Say what now?"

"You heard me. It's an Xbox360," Nao repeated. She picked up the broken console and held it up for Haruka to see.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Haruka asked.

Nao shook her head. "Heck if I know."

"Are you sure you're all right Kaichou-sama?" Mai asked worriedly.

Shizuru smiled at the three concerned girls. "Ara, it's kind of you all to worry but I'm quite fine."

The others were not convinced. "Does it hurt anywhere?" Mai inquired.

"Ara, I feel no pain whatsoever!" Shizuru said, backing up her statement with a thumb up. As if on cue, blood started to drip down between her eyes. While still holding her thumb up, Shizuru's body began to tilt backwards. Then, much like a cardboard sign being knocked down by the wind, Shizuru hit the ground with an audible thunk.

"AHHH! SHE FEEL DOWN!" Mai screamed.

"More like passed out! Oh man, she's bleeding like crazy too!" Nao jittered.

"DO SOMETHING!" Mai turned to Haruka who finally snapped out of her stupor. She was the only person around who could take charge and so, she did exactly that. Haruka assessed their situation. Shizuru was wounded so the hospital was their destination. Fuuka City didn't have an emergency hot line and Haruka didn't know the hospital or police station phone numbers. She doubted that the other two girls did. However, the blonde was able to come up with a quick workaround.

"We need to take her to the hospital. NOW!" Haruka instructed. "Tokiha, call Youko-sensei! She can pick us up here. She also has doctor friends at the hospital. She'll know what to do!"

"R-right," Mai said.

"Yuuki, help me carry Fujino," Haruka ordered and Nao unwillingly obeyed.

Shizuru let loose an agonized moan when Nao and Haruka propped her up. "No no … I must … Natsuki. I love …," she mumbled.

Mai stopped what she was doing. "Awwwww," she cooed, smiling affectionately at the semi-conscious Shizuru.

"What?" Nao and Haruka asked at the same time.

"Even when she's bleeding half to death, she's still thinking about Natsuki. That's so sweet!" Mai explained.

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE AWWING" Haruka hollered.

"Yeah! Go make the damn phone call already!" Nao groused. The red-head yelped when Shizuru's limp head suddenly came to rest on her shoulder. "Ewww, she's bleeding on me. Eww, blood! Blood! Oh, fuck … *burp* I think I'm gonna puke," Nao said. Her face was starting to turn an eerie shade of green.

"Are you for real?!" Haruka exclaimed. "What the heck, Yuuki. You beat people into bloody pulps but you choose THIS moment to be faint-hearted?"

Nao glared at the blonde. "Hey! I'm not used to this much blood, okay? And I'm certainly not used to someone bleeding on me! … Damn ... M-my uniform is getting soaked. T-The blood's getting on my skin *hic* *burp* *gulp*."

"Ewww," both Haruka and Mai grimaced. Nao had stopped herself from barfing by swallowing her own vomit.

Haruka held up her hands. "Alright alright, don't throw up!" she said. "Tokiha, you help me carry Fujino instead. Yuuki, you go call Youko-sensei!"

Nao didn't complain. She was glad to be relived of that duty. She walked as far away as she could from the bleeding Shizuru. She didn't want to smell the blood but it was no use. Shizuru's blood had soaked through Nao's clothes and the smell of iron was making her nauseous. She wanted to throw up, bad. Nao was having to fight whatever that was attempting to make its way back up her throat. It was giving her the crazy hiccups. Despite feeling sick, she took out her cell phone and dialed school nurse's number. It was almost midnight so she had to wait a while before someone finally picked up.

_ "What?"_a gruffy voice answered.

Nao frowned. The voice didn't sound like Youko. "Err, is this Youko-sensei?" she asked.

_"No. Who is this?"_

"The name's *hic* Yuuki Nao. I'm a student from Fuuka Gakuen?"

_ "Eh? Nao?! Why are you calling Youko so late?" _Nao finally recognized the owner of the voice."Midori? Why the hell *hic* are you picking up *hic* Youko-sensei's phone?"

_"Why are YOU calling her in the middle of the night?"_

"No time to explain. Just put *gulp* Youko-sensei on the phone!"

She heard a sigh from the other side. _"Look Nao, Youko had a pretty busy day. Can I help you with whatever you're calling?"_

"No! Just *hic* get me Youko-sensei!" she demanded but rolled her eyes when she heard another sigh from Midori.

_"You're obviously drunk, Nao. I'm sorry but Youko's too tired to be listening to your drunken rant. You can talk to her tomorrow."_

"I'M NOT *hic* DRUNK *hic*" Nao shouted angrily.

_"Don't lie. I can hear how drunk you are. Heh, I can practically smell the alcohol through the phone."_

"Then you *gulp* have a friggin fucked up *hic* nose because I ain't *hic* drunk!"

"Yuuki! What's the hold up?" Haruka yelled. Nao growled. Stupid Midori was getting her sidetracked.

"Look Midori, this is important *hic*. I have no *hic* time to argue with you!" Nao said.

_"Fine. If your phone call is so important then tell me what it's about. Just give me a quick summary of it. Come on, Nao. You can summarize everything in one sentence. It's easy! When I say 'go,' you're going to tell me everything in just ONE sentence, okay? Ready? GO!"_

Nao didn't have the patience to play Midori's games but if that was the only way to get through to Youko then she had no choice. "An Xbox fell from- ... from somewhere! It hit Fujino's head! She's bleeding really bad. We need a ride to the hospital stat!" Finally, Nao had said it. Hopefully, Midori would now realize the urgency of the situation-

_"That's not in one sentence ..."_

Nao slapped her forehead. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID!"

_ "I heard ya … and I gotta say, that was the lamest excuse I've ever heard!" _Nao's jaw dropped. _"You guys are probably out partying at the Karaoke bar. No use lying to me. I know Suzushiro's there, too. I heard her. You guys want a ride home so you're calling Youko, aren't you? You probably want her to come get you from the bar so she can pay your tabs AND drive you back to the dorm! Heh, well, not tonight kids!"_

"That's not it *hic* you damn moron!" Nao objected but Midori wasn't listening anymore.

_ "Heh, Xbox fell on Fujino's head. Yeah right." _With an infuriating snort, the line went dead.

"Damn it!" Nao dialed the number again but this time, the call wouldn't go through. "Shit! She turned the phone off!" Irritably accepting defeat, Nao walked back to her three companions.

"What's going on Yuuki?" Haruka asked.

"You don't *burp* want to know," Nao murmured. "Bottom line, she's not coming *hic*."

"We need to get Kaichou-sama to a hospital, soon," Mai said anxiously. "She's losing a lot of blood."

"Damn!" Haruka cussed. "All right, forget about Youko-sensei. Yuuki, hail us a taxi. We'll take Fujino to the hospital ourselves. We'll just have to figure everything out on our own once we get there."

And the three girls braced themselves for a long night ahead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Good god! It's one misunderstanding after another!**

The next day – Lunch Time - Fuuka Gakuen

It was the next day. Chie and Yukino were seated in the classroom. It was lunch time. Last night, the two fixed Shizuru's broken door and returned to their respective dorm rooms. They figured that Mai and the others will tell them the whole story the next day. But when they came to school, they found out that the two of them and Natsuki were the only three people present from last night. The rest didn't come to school.

In addition to that, Natsuki looked weary and didn't seem like she wanted to talk to anyone. She had left the classroom as soon as the lunch bell rang. Chie and Yukino were left to wonder what was going on. They had tried to contact everyone via their cell phones but the calls were not getting through.

Chie dialed Mai's number again for the 12th time that day but only received a dull beep as an answer. "Where in the world are they?" she muttered and tried Nao's number.

"Haruka-chan isn't picking up either," Yukino said. "I'm going to check the Student Council Room."

"I'll come with you."

The two made haste to the Student Council Room. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. "We're here," Yukino said.

"What's that sound?" Chie mused, looking around for the source. It carried a melodious tune. It sounded like, "Music?"

"It's coming from inside," Yukino observed and they both poked their heads inside the Student Council Room to check. Someone was in there.

"Natsuki-kun?" Chie whispered. Indeed, Natsuki was there. She was the sole occupant of the room. She was leaning against the window frame. Beside her was a radio sitting on a small stool. Soft music filtrated through the speakers.

**~~Lucky I'm in love with my best friend. Lucky to have-**

"Tch …," Natsuki tsked and jabbed a button on the radio, switching to another station.

**~~See I've been waiting all day. For you to call me baby. So let's get up, let's get on it. Don't you leave me brokenhearted-**

With a growl, she switched stations again.

**~~Have you ever needed someone so bad? Have you ever wanted someone who you just couldn't have-**

"Arrgh!" she switched to another station again.

**~~I miss you quite terribly. I fell in love, in love with you suddenly-  
**

She hit the switch again.

**~~But how do you expect me ... to live alone with just me. Cause my world revolves around you, it's so hard for me to breathe-**

Natsuki slammed her fist down on the radio. The station switched again.

**~~You're the best thing I never knew I needed. So now it's so clear, I need you here always-**

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Natsuki shouted. She glared at the radio like she wanted to smash it to pieces or throw it out the window but none of that happened. Instead, she sighed and turned the radio off before slumping down against the wall. "Why is everything reminding me of her?" she said in a shaky mutter. Natsuki wrapped her arms around her legs and proceeded to tuck her knees under her chin. She was curling up into a ball.

"What is she doing?" Chie whispered to Yukino. Her question was answered when she heard a soft sob coming from Natsuki.

They both rushed into the room. "Kuga-san!" Yukino called out.

Startled and disorientated, Natsuki scampered off the floor. "W-Wha-What are you doing here?" she demanded, wiping her tears quickly.

"You're crying," Yukino observed while approaching the agitated girl.

"No, I'm not!" Natsuki snapped whilst desperately wiping the tears that won't stop falling.

"Yes, you are," Yukino insisted.

"No, I'm not! I-I'm … erm … a-angry!" Natsuki replied. She tried to sound like her normal gruffy self.

"Angry?" Chie inquired with a perplexed frown.

"Y-Yeah, I'm angry a-at the … the radio! Because it keeps playing s-stupid songs! I-It's annoying!" Natsuki said.

"Annoying enough to make you cry?" Chie questioned with a disarming smile.

"It's all right, Kuga-san," Yukino took a step closer to Natsuki.

"No! Leave me alone!" Natsuki tried to shout but it came out as a strangled cry. "Stay back! I'm warning you! … G-Go away!"

Yukino took another determined step and spoke sharply. "I will not! Kuga-san, you can beat me down if you want but I will not leave you right now! This is when you need friends the most and I refuse to leave you in this state!"

"We're not here to judge you, Natsuki-kun. We just want to help," Chie said.

Yukino was slowly approaching Natsuki, who looked like a scared and cornered animal. "Come over here," she said and extended both arms towards the upset girl.

"Stop. Stay away- I-I'm n-not crying," Natsuki denied weakly.

"We don't care if you are. We just want to be here for you," Chie said with a soft smile. It seemed to have some effect on Natsuki as she stopped her desperate attempts to wipe the oncoming tears.

"F-Fine! I'm crying!" Natsuki admitted. She started to sniffle but continued to speak. "But i-it's not b-because I fought w-with S-Shizuru or anything o-okay? I-I'm j-j-just mad at the radio!" she mumbled between sobs.

"Of course not," Chie nodded with a warm smile.

"Shhh shhh, it's alright," Yukino cooed softly and finally gathered Natsuki in her arms. Natsuki tried to resist the hug by pushing Yukino away but found that she didn't have the energy to stop it. Her head came to rest on Yukino's shoulders. She could feel soft hands caressing the back of her head and a soothing hand behind her back. "It's all right Kuga-san. Everything is going to be all right. It's okay to cry. We're here for you …," Yukino murmured softly.

That did it. Natsuki couldn't hold it together anymore. With a loud sob, she started crying in earnest. She sobbed into Yukino's shoulder while the other girl held her. Natsuki had been trying to keep everything bottled up. This small random act of kindness from Yukino had broken the dam that was keeping all her emotions at bay. She felt sad, scared, hurt and tired. All she wanted right now was to stop feeling this way. "Just let it out, Kuga-san. Just let it all out," Yukino started rocking her back and forth.

Chie gazed at the pair. She felt so bad for Natsuki but she honestly didn't know what she could do to make things better. She was also very confused.** _'Didn't Kaichou-sama go after Natsuki-kun? I thought they worked things out by now.' _**She sighed.** _'Well, Natsuki-kun's a mess so I can't ask her anything right now.'_ **Chie glanced down at the cell phone in her hand, **'_Kaichou-sama, Mai-kun, Nao-kun … where in the world are you guys?'_**

* * *

Same day – Same time – Fuuka Hospital

Last night ... Haruka, Mai and Nao had managed to make it to the hospital with a heavily injured Shizuru. The doctors and nurses immediately rushed the wounded girl to the operation room. Nao, being the only hospital savvy person in the group because of her comatose mother, resentfully helped Haruka and Mai with all the forms and procedures regarding Shizuru's admission to the hospital.

After that, the three of them waited anxiously in the emergency room. The doctors ran many tests on Shizuru. They checked for any signs of internal injuries or bone fractures in addition to sewing the gash on Shizuru's forehead. By the time Shizuru was announced stable, it was already mid morning the next day.

Mai and Nao were currently seated on the couch inside Shizuru's hospital room. The said patient was sleeping peacefully in a nearby bed. Haruka had just gone out to use the hospital phone to contact Shizuru's parents.

Nao groaned along with her rumbling stomach. "Do I really have to be here?" she griped.

"Suzushiro-san is trying to contact Kaichou-sama's family. Until she can get a hold of them, there's no one to watch over Kaichou-sama," Mai explained.

"Oh bull, we're in a hospital full of people who can look after her! I've been here since last night and I WANT TO GO HOME!" the angry red head shouted.

"Ssssh! You're going to wake her up," Mai pointed at the sleeping figure of Shizuru on the hospital bed.

"Then let her wake up! Then we can all go home!" Nao retorted. "Besides, the doctor already told us she's gonna be fine. There's no need for me to be here!"

Nao got off the couch but Mai grabbed her arm. "We don't know if her family is going to show up or not. We have to wait on her!"

"Heck no! I'm leaving before that crazy lion lady comes back!" Nao said, trying to shake Mai's hands off.

Their argument came to an abrupt stop when the ever short-tempered Haruka suddenly marched back into the room. "What's all this ruckus about!?" she demanded.

"Nao's trying to leave!" Mai tattled. "And she called you a lion lady!"

"Oi!" the red head glowered at Mai.

"I would punch you if I wasn't so tired," Haruka growled at Nao.

Nao fired a begrudging look at a smug Mai and took her seat on the couch again.

"Did you get a hold of Kaichou-sama's parents?" Mai asked Haruka.

"Yeah. They're currently in England on a business trip," the blonde answered.

"England?! So they're not coming?" Mai exclaimed.

Haruka shook her head. "No, they're coming," she said. "They're catching the first flight to Fuuka. If they're lucky, they'll get here about tomorrow."

"Oh good. I though they weren't coming," Mai sighed in relief.

"But we'll have to watch over Bubuzuke for a few days," Haruka said. "Usually, the hospital only allows family members to see the patients but they've decided to make an exception for Bubuzuke. So we'll be looking after her before her parents arrive." The news didn't sound too bad to Mai but Nao on the other hand ...

"Oh no no no, I'm not staying here that long!" Nao made for the door but Haruka caught her by the scruff before she could make a run for it.

"Lemmie go!" Nao's protested.

"Pipe down!" Haruka snapped. "We need to watch Bubuzuke but we can take turns! I'm sure we can get help from a lot of people. Like Kuga for example. That reminds me ... Tokiha, could you contact Kuga or Yukino? My cell is dead," she said.

Mai gasped at the mention of her friend's name. "Oh no! I was so worried about Kaichou-sama, I forgot to call Natsuki!"

Haruka exhaled. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind, Tokiha. We were pretty busy up until now so I'm sure Kuga would understand."

Mai nodded. "I guess you're right," she said. She pulled her cell phone out of her skirt pocket and grimaced when she saw the blank screen. "Oh darn, mine's dead too. How about yours, Nao?"

"My battery died this morning," Nao said.

Haruka shrugged. "That's all right I guess. We can use the hospital phone."

Nao snorted. "Good luck with that. I don't memorize phone numbers. I usually save them in my cell phone so ..."

"M-Me too," Mai said sheepishly.

The two waited for Haruka to scold them for their incompetence but instead, "Yeah, me too," the blonde said dejectedly.

"Then that means …," Nao's eyes started to shine with hope.

"One of us will have to go back to Fuuka Gakuen and tell someon-"

"I'LL GO!" Nao shouted enthusiastically before Haruka could finish.

Haruka shook her head "Not gonna happen Yuuki! How can I know you won't run off somewhere! Anyways, I want two people on standby next to Bubuzuke at all times. So Tokiha can go back. You and I will leave when she comes back with two other people."

"Oh come ON!" the exasperated red-head shouted. It didn't help that her stomach growled again. Nao's shoulders slumped. "I'm hungry and sleepy ... I just want to go home," she whimpered.

Haruka checked her watch. It was past lunch time. They had been up since last night. She sympathized with Nao. Mai never complained but Haruka knew she was tired too. They were all fatigued and famished. As their senior in school, Haruka felt that it was her job to take care of the two younger girls. "Alright alright, I'll treat you to lunch at the hospital cafeteria, Yuuki. You too, Tokiha, you should eat before you go." Haruka proceeded to push the two girls out the door and locked it behind her.

"But Suzushiro-san," Mai started. "Are you sure we can leave Kaichou-sama alone like that?" she asked.

Haruka shrugged "We're just gonna grab a quick lunch. I'm sure she'll be all right."

* * *

Same day – Same time – Fuuka Hospital- Shizuru's room

Not long after Haruka, Mai and Nao left Shizuru's hospital room, a pair of ruby eyes cracked open for the first time that day.

Shizuru's eyes were bleary when she first opened them. It took a while for her vision to clear and when her eyes finally became focused, she saw a white ceiling. The first thought that came to Shizuru was, **_'Where am I?'_**

She tried to move her body but felt sluggish. Regardless of it, Shizuru pushed herself up and regretted it immediately. "Goodness, my head," she murmured. A splitting headache exploded inside her head. Her hands came up to rub her sore temples. "Hmm?" Her fingers felt an unfamiliar texture. This didn't feel like her hair or skin. She ran her fingers over it and realized that something was wrapped around her head. **_'A bandage?'_**

Alarmed, Shizuru scuttled off the bed. **_'Mirror.'_** She needed a mirror to see what had happened to her head. Then she realized another strange thing. **_'A bed? How did I get to this bed?' _**A small wave of mortification washed over her when she couldn't recall how she ended up on the bed. She looked around herself. Shizuru spotted a small clipboard attached to the foot of the bed she was just sleeping on. She snatched it up and sure enough, she saw her name on it. **_'So I'm currently a patient at Fuuka Hospital and I suffered a head injury?'_** That explained the bandage around her head.

Shizuru put the clipboard back and made her way towards the window. She needed to confirm her location. When she got to the window, she was greeted by a familiar view of Fuuka City. She shivered a bit when a breeze came through. **_'Why do I feel cold?' _**Shizuru looked down at her apparel and got her answer. She was wearing nothing but a hospital gown. _'**Why am I here again? Was I kidnapped?' **_Shizuru wondered. She _was_ a prime target for kidnapper because of her wealthy parents but she dismissed the idea quickly. **_'No, I wouldn't be at a hospital if I was kidnapped.'_**

She thought hard for several seconds. **_'How did I get here?'_** The last thing she remembered was running to Natsuki's apartment and then everything was blank.**_ 'Hmm, why was I running to Natsuki's apartment again?'_**She only had to take a moment when the answer came to her. **_'Natsuki and I had that big fight! I went after her because she was crying! What happened that night?_** **_Did Natsuki and I talk?'_** She couldn't remember. **_'How long have I been here? What's the date today? What time is it?'_**Millions of questions needed to be answered. Shizuru looked around the room for anything that could help answer them.

Much to Shizuru's joy, her wristwatch was sitting by the bedside table. She picked it up to check the date and time on the dial. "Thank goodness," Shizuru breathed out. It was only yesterday when she ran to Natsuki's apartment. Now, all she needed to know was how she ended up at the hospital. Shizuru forced her migraine ridden brain to come up with any plausible conjecture concerning her dilemma but was failing. Plus, something was gnawing at her in the back of her head. It nagged her, made her feel restless as if she had forgotten something important. She had her suspicions that it had something to do with Natsuki but she didn't know what it was. **_'Hmm, come to think of it ... I don't remember talking to Natsuki yesterday after she left my dorm room. All I remember is running to her apartment. I'm guessing something happened to me along the way … Which means ...' _**Nothing was resolved between Natsuki and her.

So why was she still here? Why was she still here wasting her time when Natsuki was hurting somewhere? Why was she not doing something about it?

When the thought kicked in, panic hit Shizuru like a hurricane. She dashed towards the only door in the room. She tried to turn the knob. "Locked!" She tried calling out. "Hello! HELLO? IS ANYONE OUT THERE?" No one answered her. She sucked in an impatient breath. "I don't have time for this!" She checked near the bed for an emergency button but it was nowhere in sight.

Shizuru was hoping to talk to someone, a nurse or a doctor. She would make up an excuse to get out of the hospital. She would go see Natsuki first and deal with the hospital later. Shizuru let out an annoyed grunt. **_'I guess that's not going to work out.'_**

She needed a way out of this room and the door was locked. Next, she went to the only other opening in the whole room; the window. She poked her head out the opening and looked down. "Oh dear, that's a big drop," she said to herself. She was probably about eight-stories high. The drop could literally kill her. She looked around for anything she could use. Below the window was a small ledge. Shizuru could see a rain pipe nearby. The rain pipe ran all the way from the top of the building to the ground. She could use the ledge to reach the rain pipe and slide her way down easily.

Shizuru checked her watch again. It was a little past noon. Natsuki would be in school about now so she would have to run all the way to Fuuka Gakuen. The journey would be a little tiresome but she was fast runner. She could do it. But first, she would need to get out of this building.

Shizuru would do anything for Natsuki but this idea was crazy even by her standards. She contemplated on waiting. She could talk to Natsuki when she gets discharged from the hospital. There was no rush. Her brain was trying to be logical but her heart objected by constricting painfully. A vision of Natsuki's tear stained face invaded her mind. The image hurt her more than anything. Shizuru felt like she couldn't breathe. She could take anything from Natsuki, let it be a punch or hatred. She could force herself to live with it but she couldn't bear the thought of Natsuki crying. Who would wish that on the person they love? Sitting back and doing nothing was not an option right now. She started this whole mess so she was obligated to make amends. **_'I can do this. I HAVE to do it.'_** Shizuru tried to shake her fear of possible death from the fall.

"This is for Natsuki. For my most precious person. The person I love! I can do this!" she said to herself. She put one foot out the window and onto the ledge. There really was no other way. She tried calling out the locked door. She had tried other options before deciding on this dangerous venture.

This was the only way to go now but Shizuru was still nervous. **_'Maybe if I talk to myself ... I will feel more assured and less nervous,' _**she thought. "This is the only way. This is the only way. This is the only way," she chanted nervously. She pictured Natsuki's face and suddenly she felt like she could do anything. "I can do this!"

Just then, the locked door creaked open and two nurses walked in. One was holding a tray of food.

Oblivious of the new comers, Shizuru was still cheering herself on. "I WILL DO THIS! THIS IS THE ONLY WAY!" she shouted.

The food tray hit the floor with a metallic clank. That got Shizuru's full attention. She could only gape at the two horrified nurses. "NO! DON'T JUMP!" one cried out. **_'Blasted!'_** Shizuru's mind quickly worked everything out. She was halfway out the window while muttering things to herself that could potentially be misleading to others. **_'I better explain before things get out of hand.'_**

Shizuru cleared her throat. "Ladies, I know what this must look like ... but I assure you, it's not what you think." Her usually calming tone had no affect on the two agitated nurses. She found that out the hard way when one of them shrieked a terrified scream. "Ssssh! Miss! Calm down!" Shizuru tried to hush the girl up.

Shizuru's heart sunk when the door to the room slammed open. **_'No! Not more people!'_ **she dreaded. If more hospital authorities saw her like this, then they would never let her leave. But to her saving grace, three familiar faces entered the room. It was Haruka, Mai and Nao.

Haruka and Nao were headed back to the room to wait on Shizuru. Mai came along to pick up Shizuru's dirty clothes before she left. They were close enough to hear the blood curling scream coming from Shizuru's hospital room and had hurried in to see what was happening. Their jaws hit the floor when they saw the situation.

"K-KAICHOU-SAMA!" Mai exclaimed in surprise.

One of the nurses, a girl with short blonde hair pointed a shaky finger at Shizuru. "This girl is trying to jump!" she trilled.

"BUBUZUKE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Haruka bellowed.

"She's trying to commit suicide!" the other nurse with long dark hair said.

"Ara, I'm not." Shizuru explained but she knew it wasn't enough. She needed a better excuse. Another breeze came through the window and she shivered again. That gave Shizuru an idea. "T-The room was getting too s-stuffy for me. I-I was just t-trying to get s-some ... a-air?" To make her point, Shizuru pulled on her gown from the neckline, trying to seem like she was getting some air flow inside her clothes. She felt some buttons pop from the gown's backside because of her forceful yanking but Shizuru didn't care.

"But why do you have one foot out the window?" Nao asked dubiously.

"A-Ara yes, I-I was trying to get some air between my legs?" Shizuru answered for the sake of answering.

Nao grimaced. "You're disgusting."

Shizuru was also ashamed of what she said but it was the result of having to pull an excuse out of nowhere. She was doing her best to dissuade the two nurses from thinking that she was suicidal. If she can't, then it would definitely foil her chances of ever leaving the hospital today. To Shizuru's chagrin, things were not going in her favor. The two nurses didn't look like they were buying into her story.

Shizuru was overworking her tired brain. She attempted to come up with a more convincing excuse. She decided not to say anything more before she did. **_'The first thing I need to do is get away from this window,' _**she thought. Shizuru retracted her leg back inside the room. "See? I'm not going to jump," she said.

Haruka waved an angry fist at her. "Damn it, Bubuzuke! Don't scare me like that!" she snapped.

Shizuru was about to walk away from the window when Mai spoke timidly. "Err, excuse me, K-K-Kaichou-sama. Y-Your hospital gown i-is coming loose," she stuttered, blushing profusely.

"Ara?"

"You ass cheek is exposed," Nao deadpanned. Shizuru checked her back over her shoulders and found that her posterior was indeed, exposed. The gown she wore was the type that needed to be buttoned from behind. In Shizuru's current state, the buttons were non-existent due to her hard tugging on the gown a while ago.

Haruka eyes travelled down Shizuru's back and she quickly whipped around when she saw the bare buttocks. The indecency made the blonde very uncomfortable. "W-WILL SOMEONE COVER HER UP?" she shouted.

"I have a pin," Mai offered, taking a pin out of her pocket.

"GO COVER HER UP!" Haruka ordered.

"O-Okay," Mai did as she was told. She approached Shizuru with a pin in hand.

"No! She might jump! Don't walk up to her so casually like that!" the nurse with blonde hair warned.

"Don't worry. Bubuzuke's not going to jump," Haruka said. "She may be weird and eccentric but I know her. She's definitely not suicidal," she assured the two nurses. Haruka had her back turned to Shizuru and was oblivious to what was going on behind her.

Meanwhile - near the window ...

Shizuru and Mai were standing beside the opened window. Mai was bent down, literally face to face with Shizuru's exposed posterior. She was trying to pin Shizuru's gown back together.

"I'm sorry to trouble you Tokiha-san," Shizuru apologized.

"O-Oh, it's no trouble Kaichou-sama," Mai tried to sound indifferent but she was really beyond embarrassed to be this close to Shizuru's privates. Her hands were shaking, sweaty and she was trying hard not to let the pin slip from her fingers. "I'm just going to pin your gown together using this-" Then it happened. The pin slipped from Mai's hands. Her desperate fingers juggled the pin around for a second before she caught a firm hold on it again and when she did, the pointy tip ended up digging into Shizuru's buttocks.

Shizuru's body jerked from the painful sting. She jumped forward. Her knees hit the window frame. To Shizuru horror, she started to lose her balance.

"OH GOD NO! KAICHOU-SAMA!" Mai dropped the pin and tried to grab Shizuru's gown but it slipped through the hands.

"Oh dear," Shizuru whimpered and then she was gone. Mai was left grasping air.

Meanwhile, Haruka was still talking to the two nurses. "Bubuzuke has no reason to kill herself. I guarantee you. She's not going to jump."

"S-Suzushiro-san?" Mai uttered the name weakly but it got Haruka's attention.

The blonde turned to Mai. "Tokiha? What are you- ... Where's Bubuzuke?"

Mai pointed at the window. Haruka stared at her blankly. She looked at Mai, then at the window. She repeated the process several times before she finally exploded. "AHHHHHHHHHH! SHE REALLY JUMPED!" Haruka screamed.

Mai held up her bloody pin "N-Not exactly ... I ..."

Seeing the bloody pin, Nao connected the dots quickly. "Holy shit! You poked Fujino with that thing didn't you?" she exclaimed.

Mai nodded. "I-It was an accident! M-My hands were shaking ... the pin slipped out my fingers and I-I poked her! It was an accident! You have to believe me!" She managed to babble out a somewhat coherent explanation.

Haruka frantically tried to wrap her head around the whole situation. "S-So you poked Bubuzuke in the ass-"

"That's what she said!" Nao joked, cutting the blonde off. "Hehehe, I know this is probably not the right time but it was just too good to let go."

Haruka smacked Nao upside the head before continuing. "So you poked Bubuzuke's butt with that pin a-and she lost her b-balance and fell?"

"Y-Yes," Mai said.

The shock from hearing the news quickly wore off and panic hit Haruka with full force. "OH NO! BUBUZUKE!" the blonde rushed to the window. "Oh, please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead." Haruka was terrified. She half expected to see a blood splattered corpse on the ground but to her joy it wasn't there. Instead, she saw Shizuru barely hanging onto a ledge several feet below her. "BUBUZUKE! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE! WE'RE GONNA GET YOU!"

"She's alive!" Haruka informed the people in the room. "We need a way to save her. OI! Yuuki? You can stick to walls right? Maybe you can go rescue Bubuzuke," Haruka said.

The red-head frowned. "How the hell am I gonna stick to a wall?"

"Didn't you have a spider pet thingy? You use it to fight toddlers don't you?"

"It's called a child you dipshit!" Nao snapped. "And we fought orphans not toddlers! Just because I have a spider child doesn't mean I can stick to walls! Besides, we lost our powers a long time ago!"

Haruka grabbed Nao's uniform collar. "Who are you calling a dipshit you little punk! I outta clobber you for being so rude!"

"Up yours blondie!" Nao spat back.

"WHY YOU-"

"HEY!" Mai shrieked, disrupting the heated quarrel between Nao and Haruka. "Are you two really going to stand there and argue while Kaichou-sama is hanging off a ledge with her naked butt cheeks?!"

Haruka and Nao broke apart sheepishly. "R-Right," Haruka nodded and went back to the window. She gauged Shizuru's situation and quickly conjured an idea. "BUBZUKE! CAN YOU MOVE AROUND USING THE LEDGE? MAYBE YOU CAN CLIMB INTO ONE OF THE WINDOWS?" she instructed.

"I'll do it."

Haruka heard Shizuru's faint reply and saw the tawny-haired girl start to move slowly towards a window. "JUST HANG ON! WE'LL BE THERE!" she shouted back. Although Haruka was worried, she couldn't help herself from pulling a face when she saw the sun being reflected off Shizuru's shining buttocks. "AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, COVER YOURSELF!"

Haruka turned back to her two companions. "Alright, she's three floors below us. That would be the fifth floor. Let's go," the three of them began to make their way to the exit but they were stopped by two figures coming into the room. Two women doctors entered. One had short silver hair and dark skin while the other doctor had short tawny hair and was very light skinned.

"What's going on around here?" the woman with short silver hair demanded.

"Doctor Bianchi! Doctor Lu" the terrified raven-haired nurse finally found her voice. "T-The patient jumped out of the window!"

"She tried to commit suicide!" said the nurse with short blonde hair.

"WHAT?" the silver-haired doctor bellowed. She and her colleague hurried over to the window. "Oh my god," she gasped when she saw Shizuru. She then turned to tawny-haired doctor. "Anh! Alert the staff! We need to help that patient!"

Anh nodded. "I'm on it," she said and left the room in a hurry.

"What happened here?" Laula asked the people who were left in the room.

The raven-haired nurse pointed an accusatory finger at Mai. "The patient jumped because that girl poked her with a pin. She made her jump!" she said.

"What?" Doctor Bianchi asked, looking puzzled.

"It was an accident!" Mai protested. "I didn't mean to poke her butt!"

Laula was now thoroughly perplexed. She turned towards Mai. "So let me make this clear," she said. "You poked a suicidal patient in the butt with a pin and that made her jump?"

Haruka felt like pulling her hair out. Shizuru could fall to her death any minute. They had no time to be dawdling like this. "NO! Bubuzuke is not suicidal! It was an accident! Look, we have no time to explain! We need to go see if she's alright!" Haruka yelled.

"Hang on," Doctor Bianchi spoke sharply. "Nobody is going anywhere until I know exactly what's going on!" She spoke in the direction of the blonde nurse. "Eristin! Call the cops. Tell them someone tried to attempt suicide!" She then addressed the other nurse. "Nina, help me keep an eye on these people!" she ordered.

"Oh jeez, this is getting way out of hand," Mai said nervously. She turned to the only leader-like person in the group. "What do we do, Suzushiro-san?"

"I have no idea," Haruka answered honestly. She was running out of ideas. Shizuru was still probably hanging off a ledge, just a tiny slip away from her imminent death. She was probably still weak from her head injury so the odds were stacked high against her. It didn't help that the four of them could possibly land in jail with the way things were going. What was Haruka supposed to do at this point?

And so she said the only thing that came to mind.

"RUN FOR IT!"

* * *

Same day – Same time – Fuuka Hospital - Ledge

Shizuru slowly moved along the ledge.

Her arms ached and her fingers were sore. She had carefully maneuvered herself towards an opened window. She latched herself onto the window frame and used the last of her strength to pull herself inside.

She didn't know how weak she was until her feet touched the solid concrete. Her knees bucked and she collapsed onto the floor. "Ooohhhh," she groaned and rubbed her buttocks. Mai's pin struck deep and her posterior was bleeding a bit. She groaned again, it was a small wound but it still stung.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Shizuru stood up abruptly at the shrill voice. She wasn't alone in the room. A thin, frail elderly lady with short silver hair was glaring at her from across the room. "YOU! Your bottom is exposed! W-Were you touching yourself just now? You- you- ..."

**_ 'Touching myself?'_ **Shizuru was merely massaging the wound from the pin. **_'But I guess I can understand why she misunderstood.' _**To explain herself, Shizuru contemplated on turning around and showing her wounded posterior to the elderly woman. She did away with the idea instantly. It would be highly inappropriate if she did that without any prior explanation to back it up. The elderly woman would surely accuse her of mooning. If Shizuru wanted the lady to believe her, then she would need to explain from the beginning.

"I- … well Madam, you see, I fell off the 8th floor and I-" The lady was intimating, too intimating to the point that Shizuru was having problems articulating her bizarre situation. The woman's light emerald eyes shone with something akin to raging lava like anger. Moreover, she didn't look like she had any intention of listening to Shizuru.

"YOU FILTHY PERVERT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?" she roared.

"Ara pervert?" Shizuru's mind only registered the word for a moment before something hit her right on the head. She saw stars.

"PERVERT! WHY WERE YOU DOING LEWD THINGS IN MY ROOM!" the lady shouted, holding up a black parasol as if it were a sword.

"Madam! Please! This is a misunderstanding. Let me explain!" Shizuru said, only to have the parasol land on her head again.

"I'M OLD ENOUGH TO BE YOUR GRANDMOTHER YOU PERVERT!" the old woman screamed.

"I'm not a pervert!" Shizuru tried her best to shield herself from the grandma's relentless assaults. She was beginning to think that hanging off a ledge was a better option when she saw something in the corner of her eyes. **_'A walking stick!' _**Shizuru picked it up quickly. "Stand back!" she said. "I do not want to hurt you!" She mimicked the elderly lady by holding the walking stick like a sword. Shizuru did not like to threaten little old ladies. She just wanted to leave the room unharmed.

Shizuru now expected the grandma to think twice about hitting her. She was sure that the elderly woman would stand down now but she judged wrong. Shizuru saw a cocky grin appear on the slightly wrinkled face. Then, the old lady shifted her body into a fencing stance. "I can beat ten of you with one hand tied behind my back. Bring it on!" she challenged.

Shizuru's eyes bulged out, "Ara … erm …" Her plan had backfired horribly. The grandma was advancing forward while holding the parasol like a fencing sword. She didn't know what to do next and before she could come up with an escape plan, the elderly woman struck. It took all of Shizuru's speed to block her. That was only the first of many devastating onslaughts.

Hurting the elderly was not an option for Shizuru but she was abhorred to realize that she couldn't hurt the old woman even if she wanted to. She may be old but Shizuru was up against a very strong and formidable fighter. Shizuru groaned inwardly while fending for herself. **_'Why this? Why me? Why now? Why am I always so unlucky when it comes to Natsuki? ... ... ... I swear, only the road to Natsuki's love would be laden with near death experiences and crazy old ladies!'_**

* * *

**Here's a citing of songs used in this chapter, they are-**

**Lucky - Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Calliet. **

**Karmin - Brokenhearted.**

**Def Leppard - Have you ever needed someone so bad.**

**Hellogoodbye - Here in your arms.**

**Jordin Sparks - No air.**

**Ne-yo - Never knew I needed.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm trouble ya'll. I got trouble in my town!**

Same day – Ten minutes later – Fuuka Hospital

Haruka, Mai and Nao had managed to out run the the doctor and nurse. They had opted to take the stairwell down to the fifth floor since the elevator would surely be slower.

"She's on this floor!" Haruka exclaimed when they came across a door labeled "5". They exited the stairwell. The three of them found themselves on the hallway of the fifth floor of Fuuka Hospital. Haruka heart grew heavy when she saw the winding corridors. She had lost her sense of direction. She knew Shizuru was hanging off the side of a building but she had no idea how to get there.

"She's in one of these rooms!" Haruka stated. The three girls started to run again.

"That's great and all but which room is she in?" Nao asked.

"I don't know ...," Haruka admitted sheepishly. "We'll just have to check."

Mai tossed Haruka an incredulous look. "You're joking right? There's like gazillion rooms on this floor! It'll take forever!"

"Dumbass idea," Nao muttered.

"I kind of agree."

Haruka gave them both a dirty look. "YOU TWO HAVE A BETTER PLAN?" she bellowed.

But for once that day, luck was on their side. Further down the hallway, a door burst open and Shizuru jumped out. The three girls came to a halt.

"Well I'll be dammed! It's a miracle!" Nao chuckled.

"YES! We found her!" Haruka cheered. "B-but … what is she doing?"

Following Shizuru out of the room was an elderly lady with short silver hair. The three girls stood a few yards away from the two newcomers.

"Kaichou-sama!" Mai called out but Shizuru didn't hear her. She was too busy defending herself.

"Are they fencing?" Haruka murmured in disbelief.

"K-Kaichou-sama! Are you alright?" Mai called out again.

Nao scoffed. "Let's see, she's in a sword fight with a old lady. Her ass cheeks are still naked AND bleeding. Oh, and she just fell off the 8th floor! What do you think, Tokiha?"

"What the hell is going on?" Haruka asked. Everyone else present was also asking the same question.

The hospital staff finally caught up to them at that point. They were the two doctors and two nurses they met in Shizuru's hospital room. "We found them!" Doctor Laula said. "We've got you now- you- ...you …" Laula and her colleagues became speechless. They were all dumbfounded by the spectacle before them.

"Hmm Laula," Anh started. "I don't suppose you know why Miss Maria is currently engaged in a sword fight with the suicidal patient?"

"I have no clue ..."

They all watched in awe, not really knowing what to think to the situation. Then it happened. "YAHHHHH!" Miss Maria brought her parasol down on Shizuru with devastating strength. The walking stick flew off Shizuru's hands. With a swift move of her parasol, Miss Maria had the girl on her knees. "Did you really think you can beat me with those amateur moves?" she said tersely. The outcome of the battle was now decided.

"What's that old woman doing?" Haruka asked. She turned to the two doctors. "Oi! What is she going to do?" She was worried for Shizuru safety. She looked around to see if anyone was going to do anything about this. Then she saw them. Several police officers were coming down the hallway behind them. "The police!" she exclaimed.

"Doctor Bianchi, the police are here!" Nina reported, breaking the two doctors out of their stupor.

"Oh no, the police!" Mai said.

"Don't worry. Fujino will explain everything. It's going to be all right," Haruka assured Mai. Once they explained everything, the police and the hospital staff would understand that it was all a big misunderstanding. Though Haruka wasn't so sure what happened between Shizuru and the old woman.

A group of police officers walked up beside them. "What's going on?" the man in the police uniform asked. He was burly built with thick jet black hair and a bushy moustache. "We got a call about a suicide attempt?"

"That's her- ... the suicidal patient." Laula pointed in Shizuru's general direction. "She's been causing trouble for other patients too," she said.

"We'll apprehend her Ma'am," the officer said.

"Please don't hurt her. She's still a recovering patient," Anh reminded him.

"We might have to hold her down Ma'am. But don't worry, we'll make sure not to hurt her," the policeman said. "You heard the lady! Apprehend that patient but don't use excessive force!" The cops sped towards Miss Maria and Shizuru and worked on breaking up the fight.

Laula turned her back to the commotion and sighed. "Finally! We're going to have some order around here," she said. She glared at the three Fuuka students. "You kids better have a darn good explanation for causing all this trouble."

"Believe me. We do. Fujino will explain everything," Haruka said with confidence.

The bushy mustached police officer approached them. "Ma'am? Is there a room we can use? We'd like to take a statement from the suicidal patient."

"Of course, I'll arrange it right away," Laula said. "You kids come along too."

Haruka, Mai and Nao nodded obediently. "They're friends of the patient," Laula explained to the police officer.

"Then we would like to take their statements too," the officer said.

"Very well, I'll take you to a spare room. If you would all follow me this way," Laula gestured for everyone to follow.

"It's odd though," the burly officer said to no one in particular. "For a lady of her age, she sure is full of energy … strong too. I wonder why she wanted to commit suicide."

Laula stopped in her tracks. "Wait! Are you talking about Miss Maria? She's not the one who-" Laula whipped around quickly and found Miss Maria struggling between two police officers. "She's not the suicidal patient!" she exclaimed.

The police officer appeared befuddled. "Eh? But she had the girl on her knees s-so we thought-,"

"THE GIRL! SHE'S the suicidal patient!"

"Calm down, Ma'am. It's not a problem. We'll just let the woman go and arrest the girl," he said. Next, he addressed his officers. "We got the wrong person people! Apprehend the girl, not the-" The burly police officer turned around but the tawny haired girl was gone. "Well maybe her friends can help-" His speech halted again when he noticed that the spot where Haruka, Mai and Nao stood a few seconds ago was now empty. Now a bit peeved, he turned back to Laula but she was also gone. Feeling like he was at his wits end, he turned to Anh but she too was nowhere in sight. The police were left with two bewildered nurses and an very pissed off old woman.

A second later, they all heard Laula's rage filled voice echoing through the hallways. "COME BACK HERE YOU DAMN BRATS!"

* * *

Same day – Fifteen minutes later – Fuuka Hospital Bathroom

When the three girls saw Shizuru took off, they had followed blindly. The four of them didn't know how long they ran but they were nearly out of breath when Shizuru finally decided to hide inside a bathroom. Fortunately, Mai had grabbed Shizuru's uniform before they left Shizuru's hospital room.

Before they did anything else, Shizuru decided to change back into her tattered clothes. "Thank you for picking up my uniform, Tokiha-san. You're a life saver," Shizuru said. She shrugged her jacked on. The area around the shoulders was colored in dried blood but she paid no mind. Shizuru decided not to take the bandage off her head in fear of reopening the wound.

"Now, can you tell me why we all ran from the police?" Haruka snapped.

"Ara, I'll explain everything in due time Suzushiro-san," Shizuru said. "But first, could you tell me what happened last night? All I can remember is running to Natsuki's house. I'm afraid my memory is rather blank after that."

Haruka sighed. "You're hopeless," she mumbled. Then, as quickly as she could, Haruka retold everything that had happened. For someone who was listening to a weird tale, Shizuru took it very well. She simply accepted the fact that an Xbox360 fell on her head. After what she had gone through today, Shizuru was ready to believe in anything.

Shizuru absorbed all the information quietly and only spoke when Haruka finished. "Hmm, it is as I've feared," she murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing has been resolved between me and Natsuki."

Haruka grabbed Shizuru by her collar. "REALLY? REALLY FUJINO? We're being chased by the police and half the hospital?! DO YOU REALIZE THAT? THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT YOUR LOVE DRAMA!"

Shizuru conjured up her infamous thinking pose. "Ara, all the more reason I should make haste and get to Natsuki."

Haruka let go of Shizuru's collar and groaned into her hands. "We're all going to jail," she concluded in defeat. "I can't believe it. I'm going to jail and it's because you can't wait to seal the deal with Kuga."

"It's not just that Suzushiro-san," Shizuru said. All traces of mischief disappeared from her face. "I ... need to apologize to Natsuki. I've hurt her in the worst way possible."

Haruka tsked impatiently. "Oh please, now you're just being dramatic."

Shizuru shook her head gravely. "Are you aware of Natsuki's childhood, Suzushiro-san? Her parents left her when she was just a little girl. She closed herself off for several years because if it. She took a chance with me when she allowed me to be her friend and I betrayed her for my own selfish reasons. I am supposed to be her closest friend. I should be the last person to hurt her this way. I understand that now. So I can't ... I can't just sit around and act like I'm not affected when Natsuki's crying somewhere. I just can't do it Suzushiro-san."

Shizuru continued. "And if there's even a small chance between me and Natsuki then I'll take it, Suzushiro-san. I'll do anything for it. I know it's selfish of me to drag you all along but I don't want to miss this opportunity ... ... This chance to be with Natsuki. I might even be too late. Natsuki might have changed her mind already."

"She won't change her mind!" Mai insisted.

"How can you know that?" Shizuru retaliated. "Can you know for sure Natsuki will forgive me after what I put her through?"

"Well I-" Mai realized she didn't know for sure. For all she knew, Natsuki could very well change her mind. She did look very upset when she ran out of Shizuru's dorm last night.

"I am sorry for getting you all involved in this mess," Shizuru said. "I will sort everything out later. For now, I need to go to Fuuka Gakuen. I don't want Natsuki to suffer anymore than she needs to."

Haruka wanted to run herself into a brick wall. This was so troublesome. Maybe Shizuru was doing this for a good cause but things were getting out of control. "But what about the police?" the blonde asked.

"I simply don't have time to deal with them. If I let them take me now, I will never get to Natsuki," Shizuru explained. Haruka wanted to choke her to death right there. Shizuru was talking as if her cause was irrefutable. Before Haruka could come up with a reply, Nao said something that shocked them all.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go see, Kuga," said the young girl.

"EHHHH?" Everyone stared at Nao as if she had grown an extra head.

"WHAT?" The red-head wasn't comfortable with all the gawking. "T-The faster we end this, the better right?" Nao went on. "B-Besides, there's no way in hell Fujino's gonna make it back to Fuuka Gakuen alone. S-She's gonna need all the help she can get!"

Haruka narrowed her eyes. It wasn't in Nao's nature to offer help. "Are you plotting something Yuuki?" she asked.

Nao let out an indignant huff, "N-No!"

"We don't believe you," Mai said, also suspicious.

Nao scratched her head. She looked genuinely troubled. "Look," she said. "K-Kuga's been crying her eyes out, o-okay? And m-maybe I kinda hate s-seeing her like that. S-so ... erm ...AH JEZZ! D-DO YOU WANT MY HELP OR NOT?"

Shizuru grinned. "Ara ara, Yuuki-san really cares for Natsuki doesn't she?"

"S-Shut up! I don't!"

"Well Tokiha-san? Suzushiro-san?" Shizuru asked her friends.

"How can I possibly say no after hearing something sweet like that from Nao. I'm with you all the way, Kaichou-sama!" Mai said.

"Suzushiro-san? What about you?" Shizuru asked the only undecided person in the room.

"No," Haruka said flatly.

"Ehhhh? But the rest of us agreed to-" Mai said.

"NO MEANS NO!"

"If you don't want to do it for Kaichou-sama then do it for Natsuki!" Mai argued.

"Why should I do anything for that stupid delinquent? We're talking about jail. JAIL PEOPLE! JAIL! Do you really understand what you're getting yourselves into?"

Nao shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Once Fujino explains everything, we'll be in the clear right?"

"Yeah but ... GAH! My answer is still no!" Haruka said stubbornly.

"Please?" Shizuru pleaded.

"I said no ... uh ..." Haruka's retort died in her throat when she saw Shizuru's face. Her ruby eyes were glazed and rounded like glistening saucers. Her lips were upturned into a small pout and she was gazing intensely at Haruka. That look was more powerful than any death glare she had ever witnessed. Haruka rubbed her face and growled. "Shit. Not the puppy dog pout."

"Pretty please with a cheery on top, Suzushiro-san?" Shizuru asked, still making puppy eyes at the blonde.

"Oh, I am going to regret this," Haruka muttered. "Alright alright stop making that face! It's freaking me out! Fine, we'll go but only if we do exactly as I say!" Haruka caved in.

They all nodded and waited for Haruka's instructions. "Okay, the very first thing we need to do is get out of this building. Then we need to get a ride. I doubt we can just waltz out of here and hail a taxi. The cops are gonna be looking for us," Haruka said. "We need a ride nonetheless. If we run all the way to Fuuka Gakuen, we're just asking to get caught."

"We should try to get out of the hospital first," Shizuru suggested. "Maybe we'll get a better sense of what to do once we're outside."

"Alright, let's go with that idea. You lot follow me and DON'T lag behind," Haruka said. She unlocked the bathroom door. Haruka signaled the other three to be quiet while she poked her head out to see if the cost was clear. She opened the bathroom door. Before she could do anything else, a hand came through the cracked door and grabbed her shirt. Following after it was a booming voice.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW, YOU LITTLE BRATS!"

"AHHHHHHHH! IT'S THE SCARY DOCTOR!" Mai screamed.

Haruka was unceremoniously dragged out of the bathroom. Worried, the group followed her.

"I've finally caught you!" Laula sneered.

Her colleague, Doctor Anh was also present. "Laula, don't be so rough with them," she implored.

Mai was biting her nails. "Oh no, oh no, we haven't even started our escape and we're already caught! What do we do? What do we do?"

Laula wore a victorious smile while Anh appeared apprehensive. "There's no escaping now! You're all coming with me!" the silver-haired doctor declared.

"Ara, you really think so Doctor?" Shizuru inquired. The easy going tone of Shizuru's voice caught everyone's attention.

Laula's grin faltered. "What are you saying?"

"Well, the way I see it, there is two of you and four of us," Shizuru said. "Can you really take on all four of us?"

"Fujino, I like the way you think," Nao grinned while cracking her fingers. Shizuru was right. There were no police officers or even nurses around. It was just the six of them and the empty hallway. Suddenly, the tables had turned. Laula and Anh were at a disadvantage.

Haruka grabbed Laula's wrist. "Who's caught who now?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"GET THEM!" Nao shouted. They four girls jumped the two doctors at the red-head's battle cry. The doctors never stood a chance against their brute strength. Not long after, Laula and Anh were tied up using some strings that Mai had found in the janitor's closet in the bathroom.

"What do we do now?" asked Mai.

"Hmm, I don't know ... " Haruka mused. "I guess we can just leave them here and lock the bathroom- ... Yuuki! Stop that! This is not the time to be mugging people!" Haruka reproached the red-head who was searching through Laula's pockets.

"Sorry sorry," Nao apologized though not looking apologetic at all. "Force of habit," she said. Nao was about to withdraw her hands from Laula's side pockets when she heard a distinct jingle. She pulled the object out of the Doctor's pocket out of curiosity.

A car key.

Nao smirked. "Guys, I think I just found our ride."

Haruka snatched the keys from Nao. "It we take her car it, would be auto-theft," she said. "But, that would save us the trouble of getting a ride. What do you think Bubuzuke?"

"I think we'll be borrowing the good Doctor's car for a while," Shizuru said. "We will return it as soon as it has served its purpose." Laula looked anything but convinced by Shizuru's words.

"So, the parking lot is our next destination?" Mai inquired.

"Yup! Let's go!" Haruka pushed the two doctors into the bathroom stalls. "We'll lock these two in here," she said.

"You sure we can just leave them like this?" Mai asked. "What if they scream? They might tell the police where we are."

"We can always gag them," Nao, the sadist of the group suggested happily.

"Or," Shizuru redirected. "We can ask them to lead us to the parking lot. The good Doctor here can show us where her car is?"

Laula snorted. "And why would I do that?"

"Ara, Doctor, if you don't cooperate, I might have to let Yuuki-san loose on you," said Shizuru. Upon hearing her words, Nao's eyes turned predatory. She was like a ravenous animal that noticed a piece of meat for the first time. "Yuuki-san here is a well known masochist. A young criminal in the making," Shizuru explained.

The two doctors eyed the young red-head. Nao had started giggling and mumbling to herself. " ... ... yes yes, I could take their tops off. Maybe unzip their pants a little bit. I'll need something to beat them with. Maybe something in the janitor's closet ... yes. Yes! Heheheheh ... I'll hit one and make the other one watch ..."

Laula and Anh both grimaced. They were repulsed by the eerie thing being mumbled. "I'll do it," Laula said hurriedly.

Shizuru grinned. "Ara, I knew you would see things my way."

Haruka patted Nao's shoulders. "Too bad Yuuki." The red-head didn't even try to hide her disappointment.

The six of them started to make their way to the parking lot.

The two hostages were closely guarded by Haruka and Nao while Shizuru lead the way and Mai watched their back. Munch to their surprise, they didn't encounter any unwarranted distractions. Thanks to Laula, the girls figured out that the stairwell went all the way to the ground level where the parking lot was located. So, they followed the stairs all the way down.

"We made it!" Nao shouted when the stairs finally ended. They were now at the underground parking lot. It didn't take long for them to locate Laula's car. Nao whistled when she saw the black mustang. "Woah, nice ride, Doc," she said, running her hands over the hood.

"I'll drive since I have a license," Shizuru said. She took the keys from Haruka and got into the car. She fired the engine up without any problem.

"I call shotgun!" Nao climbed into the passenger seat.

Mai took her seat in the back. "Get in Suzushiro-san!" she reminded.

"THERE! OFFICER! OVER HERE!" A small shrill voice interrupted them. Nina and Eristin were standing next to the elevator door with some police officers. Luckily, they were still several yards away from the group of fleeing girls.

"Shit! They found us!" Nao cussed.

"GET IN THE CAR!" Mai shouted at Haruka who still had two doctors between her and her getaway vehicle.

Without thinking, Haruka shoved everyone into the car, including the two hostages. "DRIVE FUJINO!" she ordered. With a loud screech, the car zoomed out of its parking spot.

"M-My tires …," Laula whimpered.

Shizuru maneuvered the car to make a straight shot for the exit. Nothing was blocking them. They got out of the underground parking lot unscathed. The black mustang screeched onto the roadway.

They were finally making their way to Fuuka Gakuen. However-

Mai pointed at Anh and Laula. "WHY DID YOU BRING THEM?" she screamed at Haruka.

"I-I DON'T KNOW! I PANICKED, OKAY?" the skittish blonde yelled back. "Shit! Now they're gonna think we kidnapped them!"

"Can we let them off somewhere?" Mai asked. Following her question was the sound of police sirens behind them. She turned her head and squinted through the back windshield. "Crap! They're chasing us! I see about three police cars! No! Four!"

"We _can't _stop and let the doctors out," Haruka growled. "They're gonna arrest us as soon as we stop!"

"I'm afraid so," Shizuru agreed. "I'm sorry Doctors. You're going to be stuck with us for a while."

"Yeah apology accepted," Laula replied dryly.

The sirens were getting louder. "Kaichou-sama! I see six police cars! They're gaining on us!" Mai warned.

"Then we'll just have to lose them! Pedal to the metal, Fujino!" Nao barked.

"Leave it up to me," Shizuru said. The car sped up. The rest of the people in the car held their breaths as Shizuru maneuvered it. They had never seen the Student Council President lift a finger to do any form of work so they had their doubt. After Shizuru did her sixth ninety degree turn without toppling the car, they all began to relax. The police sirens behind them were starting to get distant. Shizuru proved that she had near perfect control of the car.

All the passengers sat and waited while Shizuru did what she needed to do. Silence stretched on inside the car.

"Well," Anh finally spoke. "Since we're all just sitting around, maybe you can tell us what's going on."

"Yeah. WHY are you doing this?" Laula demanded.

"Well ...," Haruka spoke. She didn't know how to explain the whole situation. _"**Well Doctors, it all started when an Xbox fell on Bubuzuke's head ...," **_Haruka shook her head. **_"Then this morning, we found Bubuzuke half way out the window. She wasn't going to jump but she did fall. She managed to save herself and after that, we decided to break out of the hospital because she wanted to confess her love to this girl called Kuga Natsuki. Oh! And we jacked your car and took you two along with us for no apparent reason!"_** Haruka groaned into her hand. She didn't know how to explain their situation at all.

"I did it for love!" Shizuru chirped.

Haruka felt a vein pop on her forehead. She was stressed out and Shizuru wasn't helping her case. She kicked the driver's chair, "JUST SHUT UP AND DRIVE, YOU!"

"I'll do it Suzushiro-san," Mai offered. Haruka wasn't about to refuse.

"Please, go ahead."

The two doctors looked to Mai for an explanation. "The reason we're doing this is because," Mai started. "Kaichou-sama here … I mean, Fujino-san here hurt someone really bad. If she can't make it up to that person then they might never forgive her. I-I know this sounds so childish when I say it out loud but you got to understand! This person is really important to Fujino-san and you can't expect her to sit still and do nothing while her most precious person is hurting somewhere."

Anh looked flabbergasted while Laula looked more livid than ever. "So … you're telling me that you kidnapped us, assaulted an elderly patient and stole my car JUST FOR A STUPID BOY?!"

"Actually, it's a girl," Mai corrected.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!"

"Ara and that elderly patient attacked me first. I was merely defending myself," Shizuru added.

Laula sighed looking defeated and tired. "Look here," she said. "You kids don't look like bad people. I just don't want you to go to jail for something so idiotic."

"I'm aware of the consequences of my actions, Doctor," Shizuru said. "I'll explain everything to the police later. I will tell them that the rest of you were acting under my influence. I'll make sure no one else takes the blame," Shizuru explained in her rare no-nonsense voice. "I am sorry for all the trouble I've caused and I can't thank everyone enough for coming with me this far."

Laula shook her head. "You're all nuts," she said. "Why can't you just call this girl?"

Shizuru shrugged. "I don't have my phone with me."

"And our phones dead," Haruka explained. "We don't know her number off the top of our heads either."

"I do," Shizuru's chirped. "I can tell you Natsuki's number right now!"

"Yeah but our phones are all dead," said Nao.

"Mine's not," Anh volunteered. "Left pant pocket."

It was too good to be true. Haruka struggled to get the phone and handed it to Nao in the passenger seat.

"Must I do this over the phone," Shizuru said wearily. "Isn't it bad to talk and drive at the same time-"

"Now you want to be a model citizen?!" Haruka snapped. "We can't be nitpicky! Just call Kuga and get this over with! We can end this whole thing right now!" she said.

"Very well," Shizuru replied with a small nod.

Nao dialed Natsuki's number while Shizuru iterated to for her. "It's getting through!" she said and held the phone next to Shizuru's ear.

Shizuru waited. Suddenly, her throat felt dry and her heart started to hammer in her chest.

* * *

Same day – Twenty minutes before– Fuuka Gakuen Hallway

Chie was frustrated. She had been all over the school during lunch time. She had talked to several people but none could tell her about her missing friends. Mikoto had moved in with Reito so she didn't know of Mai's whereabouts. Her boyfriend, Tate hadn't seen her either. Nao's roommate Aoi said the red-head didn't come back to her room last night. Then again, that was nothing unusual for Nao; she came and went as she please. According to Yukino, Haruka never came back to her room. Shizuru lived alone so Chie couldn't ask anyone about her.

All those people who went after Natsuki didn't come to school today. Chie had a hunch that something was up but she couldn't figure out what it was. She was at a dead-end.

Chie decided to put her search on hold. She was currently heading back to the Student Counil Room with three cans of orange juice and some warm curry breads. She entered the familiar doors of the Student Council Office. The sight that greeted her made her smile.

Both Yukino and Natsuki were on the floor. Yukino was leaned against the wall. Natsuki's head was resting on her lap. Judging from the serene look and steady breathing, Chie could tell that Natsuki was in a deep sleep.

The two of them had let Natsuki cry to her heart's content. After the breakdown, they both agreed that a nap was in order for their exhausted friend. Although Natsuki was reluctant at first, she was fast asleep as soon as her head hit Yukino's lap. It was then that Chie decided to go around the school in hopes of finding some clues about the missing people but it was to no avail. Resigned, she decided to buy a late lunch for her friends and headed back to the Student Council Room.

Chie moved quietly, careful not to wake Natsuki. "How is she?" she asked Yukino.

"Still asleep."

"Good, she probably needs it."

"Have you heard from anyone?" Yukino asked. They opened their curry bread packages and started to eat while conversing quietly. Unbeknownst to them, the smell of hot curry bread was coaxing Natsuki out of her sleep.

"Hmmm?" Yukino looked down at her lap. Natsuki was starting to stir. Emerald eyes opened slowly.

"Hey there sleepy head," Chie greeted.

Natsuki pushed herself up slowly and rubbed her drowsy eyes. "Hey ...," she croaked out with a grimace. Her throat felt so dry.

With a knowing smile, Chie handed her a can of juice. "Are you hungry? I have some curry bread here."

It was her stomach that answered. Natsuki blushed.

A pack of curry bread landed in her hand. She mumbled a quick 'thanks' and started to eat.

"How do you feel?" Yukino asked.

"... A lot better. Thank you for letting me sleep for a while," said Natsuki.

"You are quite welcome, Kuga-san," Yukino chirped.

Chie observed Natsuki while she ate. Natsuki looked calm enough. Chie was contemplating on asking her some questions about last night when -

*buzz*

Chie's ear picked up a familiar buzz. It was a buzz from a cell phone vibration but it was not hers. It was coming from Natsuki's pockets. The said girl dug out her cell phone and glanced over the caller ID. "Who is it?" Chie asked. Her own curiosity was killing her.

"I don't know. Unknown number." But Natsuki answered anyways. "Hello?"

_ "Natsuki?"_

The curry bread dropped from her hands. Natsuki recognized the all too familiar voice. "S-Shizuru?" she stuttered. She was suddenly unaware of anyone around her. All that exist was the person on the other line and her. "Shizuru? Is that you?" she asked just to make sure.

_"Yes Natsuki, it's me." _She wanted to close her eyes and revel in the sound of that voice. **_'I miss hearing her voice,'_**she thought.

_"Natsuki? Are you still there?"_

"Huh? Y-Yeah I am," she replied lamely.

_"Erm … H-How are you Natsuki?"_

"Fine I guess." The conversation was awkward ... formal, unlike the ones they would usually have. **_'So we've drifted that far apart. We don't even know how to talk to each other anymore,'_**Natsuki thought. Her heart did a painful tug.

She mustered the will to speak. "W-Why did you call me Shizuru?" she asked.

_ "I wanted to explain my … my actions. You must be wondering why I stopped talking to you." _A pregnant pause. Natsuki waited anxiously for Shizuru to go on. "_Natsuki, in truth, I got tired of pretending that things are all right between you and me. I just got so sick of pretending that I am fine with the way things were going between us when I'm not. It's been eating me up alive," _Shizuru said.

_ **'So that's** **what she's calling about. She's finally going to say she hates me.'** _Natsuki had told herself over and over that there was a chance she might lose Shizuru but facing with the reality of it was overwhelming. The reality brought fresh tears to her eyes. She didn't want to lose Shizuru. Especially not when she had finally figured out her feelings but it was too late. Shizuru had already changed her mind so there was only one thing left for Natsuki to do. **_'I need to forget about my feelings for her.'_** And Natsuki was going to do everything in her power to achieve that. She came to the Student Council Room with that objective in mind but if Shizuru wanted to do this over the phone then she would respect that.

Natsuki took a deep breath. She wanted to hold her tears in for the duration for this conversation.

_"Natsuki, I have something to tell you," _Shizuru said.

"Me too, Shizuru. Actually ... can I go first?" … **_'Because I don't know how long I can hold out until I start crying again.'_**

_"Sure. Go ahead Natsuki."_

It was now or never. Natsuki needed to get everything off her chest.

"I want to say ... I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry Shizuru, for being a burden to you all this time. I'm sorry for acting like a brat. It's no wonder you got tired of me. From now on, I won't bother you anymore. W-We were d-doing f-fine without each other for the past few weeks so maybe that's a sign." It wasn't a total lie. Even though these past weeks had been hellish for Natsuki, Shizuru didn't seem too bothered by it.

Natsuki pushed on with her speech. "I won't hang around you so much anymore. I won't make you cook dinner, clean my apartment … tutor me … or go shopping .. o-or sleep over or h-have movie nights … s-so ..." She began to sniffle. This was bad. Natsuki had wanted to make this quick but she was getting sidetracked by her emotions. She decided to cut her speech short. "Anyways, I think it's best if we don't see each other anymore."

_ "I ... I was afraid it might come to this. Are you sure this is really what you want Natsuki?"_

_ **'She's still trying to be nice about it,'**_ Natsuki thought. "Yeah, I don't think I can be close to you anymore." …** _'I'm falling apart just by hearing your voice over the phone. I really don't know how I should act around you anymore Shizuru …'_**

_"Is that really how you feel Natsuki?"_

"Yeah … I think, maybe it's best for us not to see each other." … **'_Because I'm gonna need time to get over you …' _**she thought. "You're graduating in three weeks so it works out for both of us. I'll try my best to avoid you until then." **_'Because I'm sure you don't want to see my face.'  
_**_  
" I-I see."_

Natsuki had nothing more to say so she gave Shizuru her turn. "Y-you said you had something to say Shizuru?"

_"No ... no, Natsuki has made her decision. So I have nothing more to say."_

Natsuki wasn't surprised. Of course Shizuru had nothing more to say. She already got what she wanted. **_'She won't have to see me anymore ..." _**A lone tear ran down her cheeks. She wiped it away quickly. She couldn't let this go on anymore. She didn't want to cry anymore. Enough was enough.

"All right then. Bye, Shizuru," Natsuki said tersely. Without waiting for a reply, she snapped her phone shut. She rubbed her tears away with her sleeves and stood up. Even though she didn't feel like it, Natsuki managed a small smile for Chie and Yukino. "Thank you for staying here with me guys. I'm gonna head back to class now. Sitting here and moping around isn't going to help me," she said.

Natsuki turned and marched out of the Student Council Room before her friends could get a word in. Chie and Yukino had watched and listened to the phone conversation intently. That phone call was the first breakthrough regarding the mystery of their missing friends and Natsuki had just hung up. They were both in a tight spot. They knew Natsuki wanted to be left alone but at the same time, they needed answers. Natsuki didn't look like she was in any mood to talk. Chie and Yukino would surely be yelled at if they tried or worse ... Natsuki might start crying again.

Chie's eyes met Yukino's concerned ones and all she could do was shrug helplessly. The mousy brunette also looked troubled. But then, her face brightened. Yukino took off in a run, gesturing Chie to follow. "Kuga-san!" Yukino cried out to Natsuk

They both caught up to Natsuki in the hall way. The said girl stopped walking when her named was called. "Hmm? What's up?" she asked.

"Oh! N-Nothing important," Yukino said. "I was wondering if I could get that unknown number. It was Kaichou-sama wasn't it? I've been trying to call her all day. We have err … S-Student Council matters to discuss. I-I think she got a new phone and forgot to give me the number. S-So, would you mind if I get that number from you, Kuga-san?"

"Uh, sure," Natsuki handed over her phone.

It worked. The two other girls fought back the urge to do a victory dance. Yukino proceeded to save the number in her cell while Chie memorized it quickly. A few minutes later, Yukino gave Natsuki's phone back.

"You guys coming to class with me?" Natsuki asked.

Chie gave Yukino a surreptitious nod. It would be suspicious if both of them didn't go with her. "Oh, okay!" Yukino said.

"Um yeah, I forgot something in the Student Council Room. I'll catch up," Chie lied.

Natsuki merely shrugged "Okay." She and Yukino walked on to class.

Now was Chie's chance. She hurried in the opposite direction and took out her cell phone. She dialed the number that she memorized.

Maybe now, she will finally be able to get a hold of her missing friends.


	6. Chapter 6

**Of Love Doctors and teenage angst.**

Same day – Around the same time – Inside the black mustang

After Natsuki ended their phone conversation ...

"She hung up," Shizuru said. Nao took the phone away from her ear.

"Well? What did she say?" Haruka asked. Everyone was curious to know.

Shizuru decided to summarize the whole conversation in two short sentences. "She hates me now. She doesn't want to see me again," she said quietly.

Accompanying the simple summary was a rapid deceleration of the car. That got everyone on edge. "O-Oi! Why are we slowing down?!" Nao asked. Thankfully, the cop cars were still ways behind. They were not in any immediate danger.

"There's no reason for me to see her anymore," Shizuru said. "I've … done enough. It's time to end this fiasco."

Haruka kicked Shizuru's chair. "WHAT? You're gonna give up just like that?"

"She said she doesn't want to see me!" Shizuru replied in a clipped tone. "As her friend, the least I can do is respect Natsuki's wishes after all I've done!"

"AND AS HER FRIEND, you should call her out when she's being a fucking idiot!" Nao rebutted. "She LOVES you! We know that for sure! She TOLD us!"

"WELL APPARENTLY I MESSED UP MY CHANCES!" Shizuru shouted uncharacteristically. Her outburst shocked the whole car into silence. She breathed out a heavy sigh and leaned back in the driver's seat like a broken rag doll. Shizuru continued on in a dejected tone. "There's- ... there's really nothing more I can do. It's over."

The two hostages watched the situation. Laula didn't know what she was feeling right now but it surely wasn't happiness. It troubled her because she should be happy. With the speed the car was going, the cops would catch them in no time. This whole ordeal would come to end. She should be overjoyed but she wasn't. Laula looked over at Anh and saw that her friend also looked troubled. The whole car was quiet. All pairs of eyes were fixed on the driver, a tawny-haired girl named Fujino. Laula leaned forward to get a better look at the girl in the driver's seat. What she saw made her heart sink.

Shizuru's shoulders were hunched. Her red eyes had lost their mirth. She was staring off into the distance, looking dull and distant. She was a stricken stone cold statue that was still breathing. Laula knew that look. It was a look of someone who was too defeated to carry on. '**_Whoever was on that phone, must have meant a lot to her,' _**Laula thought. She was frustrated. She didn't know Shizuru's life story but no normal human being would like to see someone suffer like this. Laula hated to admit it but she would rather see that insufferable mischievous look on Shizuru's face rather than have her look this empty. She had to do something. **_'I'm going to regret this,' _** she thought. But she couldn't just leave things be. "You're never going to get her with that kind of attitude!" she scolded.

"Ara?" everyone turned to Laula in surprise, including Shizuru.

"Fujino, I don't really know the history between you and this girl but from what I gather, you love her right?" Laula asked.

Shizuru stared blankly, "Yes?" she answered.

"Then just tell her!" Laula snapped.

Although, Shizuru was initially stunned by the Doctor's outburst, she quickly recovered with a huff. "I tried to tell her Doctor! Didn't you hear me? She rejected me!" she shot back.

"You didn't tell her anything! I didn't hear a single 'I love you' from you!" Laula retorted.

Shizuru eyed her defensively. "S-She knows that I love her. I've told her many times in the past!"

"That's no excuse not to tell her again!" Laula rebuked. "I heard your side of the phone conversation. You were dancing around the topic like a moron when you could've just told her you love her. She probably misunderstood you! You have to be straightforward when it comes to these things!"

"That's- Well- ... Y-You don't understand what's going on!" Shizuru sputtered.

"What's there to understand?" Laula griped. "Answer me this. Did you ask her if she loves you?"

"No."

"Did she tell you she hates you?" Laula asked. "Did you hear the word 'hate' coming out of her mouth?"

"No ..."

"YOU MORON!" Laula shouted. "Then why the hell did you say she hates you?"

"B-because ... it felt that way?" Shizuru said, now sounding uncertain.

"What if you felt wrong? What if you misunderstood her?" Laula asked. "What if you're giving up for nothing?"

A thoughtful silence passed before Shizuru spoke again. "But I've hurt her. I know I have ..."

"Then you apologize!" Laula said. "Say you're sorry and ask her to forgive you. Oh! And I don't recall you apologizing on the phone either!"

From the way Shizuru's brows furrowed in distress, Laula knew the girl was still not convinced. But some life was returning to her. She didn't look so crushed anymore. Shizuru still seemed a bit confused and to everyone's delight, a tad hopeful. All the girls started to join in on the task of persuading Shizuru.

"Kaichou-sama, you and Natsuki really do drive me up the wall!" Mai grumbled. "You two are so afraid of hurting each other that you end up beating around the bush and confusing one another!"

"You shouldn't give up just yet, Fujino-san," Anh said. "Not until you've made your feelings clear."

"I'm tellin' you Fujino, she really loves you!" Nao said. "Come on! Don't give up now! This is not just about you. The mutt's happiness is on the line too."

"Bubuzuke! Do you remember what you told me in the hospital bathroom?" Haruka asked. "You said if there's even a small possibly that Kuga might love you back then you would do ANYTHING for it! Right now, doing 'anything' means out running the cops all the way to Fuuka Gakuen to see Kuga! We've come too far to give up now so let's stick to our original plan. We'll go to Fuuka Gakuen, you're gonna confess and we'll see what happens next. So step on it Bubuzuke! I'm not letting you give up just yet!"

Shizuru have not responded to any of their encouragements. They could all hear the faint sounds of the police sirens from a distance getting closer with each passing second. "The police are almost here," Mai fretted.

Suddenly, they were all thrown back in their seats. Their ears were filled with the loud sound of a revving engine. When they recovered from the effect of the inertia, they realized the car was picking up speed again. The rest of the passenger looked to the driver's seat. The once lifeless Shizuru was busy shifting gears and controlling the steering wheel. When she finally spoke, she sounded like her old cheery self. "Everyone is right," she said. "How can I possibly give up now when I have a car full of people supporting me?"

Shizuru glanced over at everyone in the car. Her mischievous grin was back in place. "The good Doctor has a point. Natsuki might have misunderstood my babbling over the phone. So I won't give up yet. If Natsuki really hates me then she'll have to say it to my face but not before listening to what I have to say!"

Collective cheers could be heard from everyone but they didn't have the luxury to rejoice at all.

"Oi, let's not celebrate just yet," Haruka warned. "We've lost too much speed. The cops are gaining on us!" Backing up Haruka's warning was the blaring sounds of police sirens behind them.

Shizuru gripped the steering wheel tight and slammed her foot down on the accelerator. "Hang on, everyone! It's going to be a rough drive!" she announced.

Haruka, being the type of person who couldn't sit around and do nothing, leaned between the driver's and passenger's seats to bark orders. "Bubuzuke, try to lose the cops before we get too close to Fuuka Gakuen. You know the area around the school is hilly. It'll be hard to lose them there!" she said.

"I'll try."

They were passing by downtown Fuuka City. The traffic was heavy there. The roads were starting to get narrow and congested. Yet, Shizuru refused to slow down. She was whizzing past other cars and sometimes scarcely avoiding pedestrians. She went as far as driving on the opposite side of the road if she had to. Despite knowing that Shizuru had expert control of the car, the passengers were still nervous.

One of those nervous passengers was a certain red-head seated beside the driver.

Shizuru's driving was becoming crazier by the minute. Nao was regretting riding shotgun. She was getting the unwanted privilege of witnessing the nerve wrecking car ride from a first hand point of view. Being the pessimist that she was, Nao could only see two things coming out of this death ride- ... human road kill or her death. She wanted neither. "Oh please Kami-sama, Jesus Christ, Allah, Buddha, ancestors of the past and almighty forces of nature please please please help me survive this!" Nao mumbled, praying to every god she could think of. However, her preoccupied mind still had the sense to hear and feel Anh's phone vibrate in her hand. The phone didn't belong to Nao but she answered by instinct. "What?" she said gruffly.

_ "Nao-kun? Is that you?"_

"Who's this?" she asked.

_"It's me. Chie!"_

Her eyes went wide. "Chie?! How did you get this number?"

_ "Err, Natsuki-kun gave it to me ... Anyways, where in the world are you? I'm guessing you're with Kaichou-sama. Is Mai-kun and Suzushiro-san with you?"_

"Yeah, they're all here." Nao said.

"WATCH OUT!" Haruka screamed and Nao hung onto the 'oh-shit' handle for dear life.

The car swerved violently as it narrowly avoided a head on collision with another car on the road. Nao heart nearly exploded. She clutched her chest. "Fuck! If a car crash doesn't kill me a heart attack will!" she muttered under her breath.

Unaware of Nao's dire situation, Chie continued to speak _"Where have you been all this time? We've been so worried!"_

"Y-Yeah, Fujino got in an accident on the way to Kuga's house. We've been at the hospital all night." Nao struggled for a reply. Her mind was torn between not wanting to die and concentrating on Chie's words.

_"WOAH! Kaichou-sama had to be hospitalized?! Oh man, is she all right? Are you guys at the hospital now?"_

"... No," she managed a distracted answer.

_"Well where are you?!"_

"Now? We're running from the cops."

_ "YOU'RE WHAT?"_

"Cops are chasing us," she repeated absentmindedly.

_"WHY?"_

"Uhh, they think Fujino's a suicidal patient who kidnapped two doctors from Fuuka Hospital," Nao decided to give a short version of what happened.

"OIII! DON'T RUN OVER THAT MAN!" Haruka screamed again.

Nao snapped her eyes shut. The car ride was getting to be too much and Chie's nagging wasn't helping._ "SHE'S WHAT? I-I don't understand ... Nao-kun, are you joking around?"__  
_  
The red-head was immediately incensed. Her near death situation was anything but funny. "Chie, a lot of weird shit went down since last night, okay?" Nao said. "And I can't tell you what they are right now because I'M TOO BUSY TRYING NOT TO SHIT IN MY PANTS!"

Nao's raised voice caught Haruka's attention. "Hey, is that Harada on the phone?" the blonde asked. "I have an idea. Gimme that phone Yuuki." Haruka snatched the phone away from Nao. "Hey, is this Harada? It's Suzushiro," she spoke into the mouth piece.

_ "Y-Yes, Suzushiro-san?"_ Chie answered meekly.

"Harada! I need you to do something for me. It's important so listen carefully," Haruka said. "I want you to wait for us near the school gate. We're coming to Fuuka Gakuen right now. We are in a black car, a mustang. After our car comes through the gate I want you to lock it. I repeat. Let the black mustang in and lock the school gate immediately. You can't let a single police car through. You got that?"

_" … … I-I guess I do?"_

"Good. Now, standby next to the school gates and wait for us!" Haruka ordered and snapped the phone shut. "Tokiha, help me untie the Doctors," she said.

"What's the plan Suzushiro-san?" Shizuru asked.

"Harada will help us buy some time. You'll need to put as much distance between us and the cops and make a straight shot for Fuuka Gakuen!" Haruka barked.

"Got it," Shizuru said and put the pedal to the floor.

"And try not to kill us in the process!" Nao wailed as the mustang flew through the streets, heading straight for Fuuka Gakuen.

* * *

Same day – Around the same time – Fuuka Gakuen Hallways

While the high speed car chase continued ...

Haruka had just hung up on Chie ...

Chie stared at her cell phone in awe. **_'WHAT IN THE WORLD JUST HAPPENED?'_** her mind screamed. Chie shook her head to rid herself of the shock. "Gate … yeah I need to get to the gate …," she muttered. She wanted to wrap her head around what was going on but not at the risk of disobeying Haruka's orders.

"And where do you think you're going," said a surprisingly close voice behind her. "AHHH!" Chie jumped several feet in the air. A strong grip landed on her shoulders, stopping her from running away. Chie faced her captor. "M-Midori-sensei?"

"Why are you out here, Harada? Its class time isn't it?" Midori inquired with undisguised suspicion.

"I -I …"

"Are you skipping class?"

"No."

"Good, then I'll walk you back to class."

Midori proceeded to manhandle Chie back to her classroom against her will**_. 'Oh man oh man oh man, this is bad. I've got to get to the school gate!' _**Chie was in panic mode. She was failing to come up with any plausible excuse to get away from Midori.

Soon, they arrived at her classroom door. Midori slid it open. "Yo! Sakomizu-sensei, sorry to disturb your lesson," she said to the teacher who stood at the front of the class.

"Oh, Suigura-sensei, what brings you here?" Sakomizu asked.

"Just making sure none of my students are skipping," she said, pushing Chie into the room.

Sakomizu smiled in gratitude. "Ah! You're a model homeroom teacher then."

Midori grinned at the compliment, "I try!"

Receiving a pointed look from Midori, Chie stumbled back to her seat behind Natsuki. She didn't know what else to do. Whilst still fidgeting, she took her seat and checked her watch. **_'This is bad … bad bad bad.' _**Haruka wanted her to be at the gates about five minutes ago.

Yukino, who was in the seat beside Chie, looked over worriedly. "Harada-san, are you okay?"

Natsuki also turned around to check on her, "Yeah, you don't look so good," she said.

"I need to get to the school gate," Chie blurted.

Her two friends couldn't be anything but confused by her words. Chie took a deep breath. Panicking was not going to help. She needed to calm down or she was going to sound like a bumbling fool. "I called the number I got from Natsuki. It got through and Nao picked it up," she explained.

Natsuki frowned. "I thought the phone was Shizuru's? Why did Nao pick up?" she asked.

Chie held up her hand, signaling Natsuki to let her continue. "They're all together- ... Nao-kun, Kaichou-sama, Suzushiro-san and Mai-kun. Last night, Kaichou-sama got in an accident. They took her to the hospital. They were there all night."

"WHAT?" Natsuki stood up abruptly. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

Chie shook her head. "I-I don't know the details either."

"Wait. What's that got to do with the school gate?" Yukino asked.

Chie took a deep breath. "Don't hold this against me. I'm just repeating what Suzushiro-san and Nao-kun told me," she pleaded. "Right now, the four of them are on their way here in a black mustang. They're also being chased by the p-police. Suzushiro-san asked me to wait by the school gate. I was to let the black mustang through, then lock the gate immediately to keep the police out."

Natsuki and Yukino stared at Chie strangely. "It's true! I swear! I'm not making it up!" the raven-head insisted.

Natsuki scratched her head in dismay. "So, Shizuru is really with them?" she asked.

"She is. From what they've told me."

"A-And she got into an accident last night?"

"I don't know the details," Chie clarified once more. "Nao said it happened while Kaichou-sama was on her way to your house last night, Natsuki-kun."

"She was coming to my house?" Natsuki cried in surprise.

Things were getting more confusing for the three of them now. "And you said Kaichou-sama was hospitalized?" Yukino confirmed. "So, why are they being chased by the police? Why are they coming here?"

Natsuki growled. "None of this makes sense! I just talked to Shizuru a while ago! She sounded fine!"

"I don't know what's going on either but Suzushiro-san asked me to wait at the gate! And I should've been there-" Chie checked her watch, "-ten minutes ago!"

The three girls knew Haruka's nature. The blonde wouldn't make such requests if it wasn't urgent. They needed to move. "Let's go!" Natsuki said. The other two girls got off their seats. They began to make their way towards the classroom entrance only to be block halfway by their homeroom teacher.

"Hey hey hey, where do you think you're going?" Midori demanded.

"Get out of my way, Midori! We don't have time to explain!" Natsuki griped but the young homeroom teacher did not budge.

"That's 'Midori-sensei' to you Kuga. And yes, you do have time to explain because the three of you are not going anywhere until I say so," she said.

"We have a good reason for this Midori-sensei. We will explain everything later," Yukino tried to plead.

Midori remained unfazed. "This is school hours, Kikukawa. You know I can't just let you walk out of here without a valid excuse."

"But there is a good excuse!" Chie persisted.

"Well then, let's hear it!" The teacher wasn't going to give up and they couldn't see any other way out.

Natsuki sighed. "Tell her Chie."

Yukino shrugged, "I guess there's no helping it."

Chie looked at her two friends helplessly.

"I'm waiting Harada," Midori reminded her. Chie had no choice but to relay the strange story.

"Kaichou-sama, Mai-kun, Suzushiro-san and Nao-kun are currently in a black mustang. They on their way here a-and they're also being chased by the police. Suzushiro-san asked me to wait by the school gate so I can lock it after the mustang comes in. That's to stop the police cars from coming i-into the school grounds," she said.

Neither Midori or Sakomizu appeared impressed. Midori released an amused chuckle. "Really Harada, you need to come up with a better excuse if you want to skip class. That was a very lame story."

"I'm not making it up!" Chie protested.

"Oh, save it," Midori snorted. "You kids are all the just the same. Yuuki tried to pull the same stunt on me last night. If you're going to lie to me, then at least come up with a better story!"

The first part of Midori's statement caught Chie's attention. "Midori-sensei, you saw Nao last night?" she asked.

"No. She called me in the middle of the night. Well ... ... she was actually calling Youko but I happened to pick up the phone," Midori said. The young teacher flashed Chie a sly grin. "Hey, don't be acting like you don't know what I'm talking about. All of you were there at the Karaoke bar last night along with Yuuki, weren't you?"

"No, we weren't!" Natsuki denied sharply.

"No use lying, Kuga. I heard Suzushiro's voice too," Midori admonished.

The three students exchanged alarmed looks. Haruka and Nao together ... It fit with Chie's story.

"What did Nao-kun say?" Chie asked.

Midori shrugged. "Some crazy story about an Xbox falling on Fujino's head. She said they needed a ride to the hospital but I doubt it. She probably just had too much to drink and wanted a ride home."

"An Xbox fell on Kaichou-sama's head?" Chie repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah and she thought I was going to fall for a stupid story like that! Hah!" Midori said with a smug grin.

"Midori ..." A quiet and shaken voice brought all attention to Natsuki. Her eyes were wide and fearful. Her face was ashen white, "Did Nao really say an Xbox fell on Shizuru's head?"

Midori nodded. "Yeah?"

If possible, Natsuki's face became whiter and more fail. Her breathing became labored. Natsuki looked about ready to pass out. "I-I …"

"Natsuki-kun, are you all right?" Chie asked.

"I live on the top floor of a two-story apartment ...," Natsuki croaked. "And last night, I-I threw my Xbox out of the window," she said.

"Stop kidding around, Kuga. Why would you throw out an Xbox like that," Midori inquired with amused chuckle. "And why would Fujino be loitering near you apartment with Yuuki and Suzushiro?"

Chie stepped in to explain. "Last night, all three of us were at Kaichou-sama's apartment. Kaichou-sama, Suzushiro-san, Mai-kun and Nao-kun were there too. Natsuki and Kaichou-sama had a big row and Natsuki-kun left. Kaichou-sama went after her later and Mai-kun, Nao-kun and Suzushiro-san followed her. Kikukawa-san and I waited back at Kaichou-sama's apartment and that was the last time we saw then," she said.

Natsuki nodded. "I was so mad when I got back to my apartment. I got into a major fight with Shizuru and it was all because of that STUPID Xbox! I didn't want to look at it s-so I threw it out the window."

Suddenly, all traces of amusement was wiped off Midori's face.

"So you really did throw an Xbox out your two-story window?" Midori asked.

Natsuki nodded.

"And it could have ... possibly fallen on Fujino's head?" Midori asked again, looking increasingly nervous.

Natsuki nodded again.

"So Yuuki might've been telling me the truth?"

Another nod.

"Which means Fujino might've really suffered a head injury last night?"

Another nod.

"And Yuuki was probably calling Youko because she's the only doctor she knows."

A nod from all three girls.

Midori buried her face in her hands. "And I just hung up on her didn't I? … Shit shit shit shit SHIT! B-But wait … if Fujino's suppose to be at the hospital then why is she coming here and WHY is she being chased by the police? I-I'm pretty sure Nao sounded drunk over the phone last night! How can I be sure you guys are not pulling some elaborate prank on me?" The very anxious homeroom teacher eyed them suspiciously.

It was Sakomizu who answered the accusatory question. "No, I think they're telling the truth or part of it," he said.

"How do you know?" Midori inquired.

Sakomizu put a finger to his lips. "Listen," he said

Yukino was the first person to hear it. "Sirens! I can hear sirens!" she exclaimed.

"What? Midori headed to the window that was facing the school gate and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Police cars were pouring in through the opened gate.

Chie groaned. "Now do you believe me?"

"I'm going to see what's going on," Midori growled.

"I'll go too," Sakomizu said.

"The three of you STAY PUT," Midori ordered.

"But we-" Natsuki tried to argue.

"NO BUTS!" Midori cut her off. "Stay put or its detention until you graduate!" she left very little room for argument.

"Let's just stay here for now," Yukino said. "Besides, we don't really know what's going on." She pulled her two friends back to their seats. They didn't want to stay put but Yukino had a point. So, the three of them took their seats again.

All eyes were on them and curious whispered surrounded the three girls. But, they couldn't care less about their classmates gossiping about them. Their minds were too preoccupied.

"What happens now?" Chie asked.

Yukino could only shrug. "We'll have to wait and see."

Natsuki just groaned in frustration.

* * *

Same day – A few minutes earlier – Near Fuuka Gakuen gate

A few minutes earlier ...

"We're here!" Shizuru announced as they passed through the Fuuka Gakuen school gate. She pulled over and parked next to the bushy area where Natsuki always parked her bike.

Haruka poked her head out the window. "Where the hell is Harada? She's suppose to wait at the gate!" she groused.

"No time to waste. Let's close it ourselves!" Shizuru said. Everyone got out of the car and rushed to the school gate only to stop halfway. They could see a line of police cars coming in their directions. The cars were approximately a mile away and closing in fast.

"Damn, they're closer than we thought!" Nao said.

"Change of plan. Ignore the gate and make a run for it!" Haruka ordered and the six of them, including the two Doctors turned and ran in the direction of the school building. "What are we going to do? They'll catch us before we can get to the classroom!" Haruka asked.

"Ara, we do have a certain advantage over the police," Shizuru said. "For instance, we know the school grounds better than them."

"Yeah, but they can overwhelm us by their sheer number. They'll block every hallway in the building and catch us!" Haruka gruffed.

"Maybe we don't have to use the hallways," Mai suggested.

"Then how the hell are we gonna get to Kuga's class?!" Haruka complained.

"We can climb in through the windows!" Mai answered.

"But the classroom is on the second floor!" the blonde reminded, thinking Mai had forgotten.

"The tree!" Mai answered simply. "There's a big ol' tree growing right beside the building. I'm talking about the one with the big thick branches. We can climb up that tree and enter the classroom through the window. I see Nao and Mikoto do it all the time!"

"That's a brilliant idea Tokiha-san!" Shizuru cheered. "The police will never suspect it."

"That's actually a good idea," Haruka nodded. "Right, let's do it!"

"Yuuki-san, could you show us where this tree is," Shizuru asked.

"Leave it to me. We're really close to it!" More determined than ever, the four Fuuka students and the two doctors increased their pace.

The two doctors fought hard to keep up as they were not as athletic or young as the four students. Laula was wheezing. "Hah ... Anh ... why are we ... running with them? I-It's ... not like the ... police are gonna ... do ... anything ... to us ... if we stay behind," she said.

"Hmmm, I don't know either but this is quite exciting isn't it?" Anh replied with a small giggle.

Laula groaned at her friend's easy going nature. "I guess I'm just trying to be a responsible doctor," Laula tried to explain her actions out loud. "I need to drag the brat back to the hospital when we're done with this whole charade."

"Or maybe, you're just worried about these kids and you want to see the whole thing through," Anh retorted with a knowing smile.

Laula glowered at her colleague but said nothing more.

After they turned a corner, Nao skidded to a stop near a big tree growing very close to the school building. "This one!" the red-head said. Then, with an agility and grace of a cat, she jumped onto the nearest branch.

"Easier said than done," Laula muttered.

"Could you give the Doctors a lift, Suzushiro-san?" Shizuru requested. "I'll pull them up." She climbed up next to Nao effortlessly.

"The things I do for you, Bubuzuke," Haruka complained but did as she was told anyways.

After much cussing and complaining from Haruka, the two doctors finally made it up the tree. "Alright, now pull me up." Just as Haruka said those words, they heard voices.

**"I think they went this way, sir!"**

**"Search the buildings! Do not let anyone in or out!"**

**"Yes sir!"  
**  
Several voices and footsteps were coming their way. Haruka was standing in plain sight.

"Give me your hand!" Shizuru said.

"I'm not gonna make it. Just go!" Haruka whispered back.

Shizuru shook her head. "No! Give me your hand!"

"Stop dillydallying and go! I'll run and lead them somewhere else!" Haruka said.

"Then I will come after you!" Shizuru threatened. "If you don't want me to do that then give me your hand! I'm not leaving you here!" Shizuru was adamant. Their eyes met in an unyielding gaze. "Suzushiro-san, you were the one who told me not to give up so I'm going to tell you to follow your own advice. Just give me your hand! We can all make it!"

"You're so damn stubborn!" Haruka complained. Then she let out a quiet laugh. "Fine! But make it quick!" She gave Shizuru her hand.

Shizuru grasped the blonde's outstretched hand and began to pull her up. Haruka wasn't as lithe as Shizuru or Nao. Therefore, she was solely relying on Shizuru's strength. The footsteps were getting louder. "Damn, we're not gonna make it …," Haruka whispered.

"Oh yes we will! Give me your other hand Suzushiro!" Nao seized Haruka's free hand and pulled. The blonde's feet started to lift off the ground.

"Almost there!" Mai said and clutched Haruka's shirt, finally pulling her on the branch.

"You made it!" Anh cheered with a happy clap.

"Sssssh!" Haruka gestured them to hush. Just as she did it, several uniformed police officers appeared from behind the building the corner. There were about six of them, all armed with pistols.

_"... … See anything?" _a voice came through a walkie belonging to one of the cops.

"Negative, sir. We're still looking."

_" …All right. Keep searching. Their car is here so they're probably not too far."_

"Roger that."

The girls didn't dare breathe. The leaves on the tree were shielding them a bit but it was an absolute miracle that the cops never looked up. If they did, they would see six people sitting on tree branch.

They all waited fretfully until the officers passed them. Only then, their breathing returned to normal. Nao blew a shaky breath. "Woah dude, these guys are serious. Did you see those guns?"

"A-Are they going to shoot at us?" Mai asked.

Haruka shrugged. "No use thinking about it. Let's move on. Now, where's that classroom?"

"Right above this branch," Nao confirmed.

Haruka punched her palm with gusto, "Let's move it!" she said.

Shizuru and Nao jumped up the higher branch and helped the others climb up.

"We're here," Shizuru said. Suddenly, she was nervous. Her hands started to sweat. "We're here," she repeated. They all turned to the window and Shizuru's breath caught in her throat. There, sitting beside the window was none other than the love of her life.

Natsuki was talking with someone … a classmate probably. Shizuru couldn't see for sure since the window was closed. After everything she went through, she was finally here. Natsuki was just a window away from her.

Haruka nudged Shizuru softly. "What are you waiting for?"


	7. Chapter 7

**OMG! SHIZURU! SHUT UP!**

Same day – At the same time – Fuuka Gakuen Classrooms

At the same time -

Natsuki let out a frustrated growl. She just wanted to know what in the world was going on. "Why didn't you guys tell me Shizuru came after me?" Natsuki directed the question at her two companions.

"You looked really upset when we found you today, Natsuki-kun," Chie said. "And we didn't want to upset you more by bringing up last night."

"I'm sorry Kuga-san," Yukino apologized. "If I knew something like this was going on I would-"

"No no, it's all right. We couldn't have anticipated something like this," Natsuki said. All Chie and Yukino did was help her out today and the last thing Natsuki wanted to do was put the blame on them. Her two friends said Shizuru went after her last night, which would infer that Shizuru wanted to reconcile with her. But then, why did Shizuru make that phone call today to sever their ties? **_'Arrgh, everything is so confusing!'_**

Chie asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "What do you think happened?"

Yukino shook her head. "I don't know. We'll just have to wait until Midori-sensei comes back with the full story."

They were quiet after that. All were lost in their own thoughts.

Natsuki sighed, **_'I wonder what Shizuru is doing? Is she here at the school right now? Why is she running from the cops?'_** Natsuki wasn't sure exactly what was going on but- **_"I hope you're okay Shizuru …"_**

Natsuki looked out the window. She felt like a train wreck but the day was a total contrast to how she was feeling. Natsuki observed the view outside. The leaves on the tree swayed to and fro with each light breeze that danced by. She could see sunlight poking through the screen of green leaves, making their color more vibrant. The scattered spots of sunlight coming through the leaves shone beautifully on a group of people who were sitting on a nearby branch. **_'Yep ...'_ **Natsuki thought the day was a disparity when compared to how she was feeling ...

_ **'Hold on a minute ...'**_ Natsuki did a double take. **_'_**_**A group of people in the tree?'**_ Natsuki stood up and rubbed her eyes. **_'Am I seeing this right?' _**She looked out the window again. There was no doubt about it. A bunch of people were sitting on a branch and the one closest to the window, the person who was giving her a casual wave was none other than -"SHIZURU?!"

Chie and Yukino joined her immediately. "Oh my god," Yukino uttered.

"Open the window!" Chie's reminded them and they quickly got to work.

"Thank you for letting us in!" Shizuru greeted as soon as the window opened. She proceeded to make her way inside.

"Coming through," Haruka said, following Shizuru in.

Next, came Mai and Nao. "Hey guys!" Mai greeted.

Then, two people wearing white coats came through. "Excuse us for the intrusion," said the woman with short tawny hair.

Saying that Natsuki was flabbergasted was a big understatement. "Shizuru! What the hell are you doing here- you- you look horrible!" she said. Shizuru was wearing the same outfit she wore last night with a few new additions. She had a bandage around her head, the shoulders of her jacket had blood stains and her uniform was dirty as if she had been rolling in the dirt.

"Well hello to you too my Natsuki," Shizuru said with a cherry smile.

"So! This is Natsuki!" the tawny-haired lady with the lab coat exclaimed. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you! I'm Doctor Anh. This here is my co-woker, Doctor Laula."

"O-Oh, err ... pleased to meet you?" Natsuki greeted back, not sure what to make of the two doctors.

"Charmed," Laula said dryly. "Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Fujino, do what you need to do."

Shizuru appeared uncertain. "Tell her? Right here? Now?" she asked Laula.

Laula tsked. "Yes. Here. Now. Don't stand around and waste time. Just do it."

"She's right Bubuzuke. The cops might come any minute," said Haruka.

Natsuki frowned. **_'What the heck are they talking about? What does Shizuru need to do?'_**

"You'll be fine, Kaichou-sama," Mai said with an encouraging smile.

"And remember! _Make yourself clear!_" said Laula.

The confusion was starting to get to Natsuki. "Shizuru, what's going on?" she asked. It boggled her mind. She was about ready to pull her hair out. "W-Why do you look like this? Why were you in a tree? Are you feeling all right? I-Is your head okay?"

"Oh this?" Shizuru asked as if noticing her own head injury for the first time. "This doesn't matter right now. I came here because I need to do something." Shizuru took several steps closer to Natsuki. "I am going to tell Natsuki something very important starting now. So I'll need you to pay close attention, all right?" she said.

Natsuki nodded. "Okay?" she said, still very unsure as to what's going on.

"Natsuki, do you remember what I said when I called you today? I said I have something to tell you?" said Shizuru. "But I didn't, after you told me you didn't want to see me anymore? ... Well, that's because I decided there was nothing more to be said but I was wrong! I was a fool for thinking that." Shizuru grabbed the younger girl's shoulders. "I want to tell you about everything that happened between us these past weeks. After you hear my explanation, you can decide whether you still want me in your life or not!"

Natsuki frowned. Didn't Shizuru make herself quite clear over the phone? What was left to explain? **_'But if Shizuru did make herself clear then she wouldn't be making such a request.'_** Natsuki had a sudden hunch that she had missed something. Maybe she misunderstood Shizuru. "O-Okay," she said. She was now eager to hear what Shizuru had to say.

"All right, let me start with all that fights we've had," said Shizuru. "Natsuki ... I do not care about how much video game you play. I don't mind if you interrupt me from my computer game. I DO NOT CARE about any of that stuff. I just used them as an excuse to fight with you because I had this bright idea that if you're mad at me then you wouldn't want to be around me. All those fights happened because I purposely provoked you. Do you understand? It was never your fault. I'm the one to blame here."

Shizuru went on. "I did it to get away from you, Natsuki. I wanted some time alone. I thought it would help me get over you because I'm still in love with you and ... ... I thought you didn't feel the same way. It was just so hard to be around you and not ... have you. I needed to get those feelings out of my system so that I can be a good friend to you in the future."

Natsuki face burned from a sudden blush. Shizuru had just admitted to being in love with her in front of the whole classroom. Nonetheless, her embarrassment was soon overpowered by shock. Natsuki was staggered by what she was hearing.

Shizuru continued on. "And I made myself believe that I was doing this for both our sakes! But in truth, I was only thinking of myself. I was selfish. I didn't think once how this would hurt Natsuki. I should have known better. You trusted me enough to let me be your closest friend and I abused that trust. I can't imagine how much pain I've caused you and I can only apologize … … B-But if Natsuki can find it in her heart to forgive me somehow, then I promise you Natsuki, I'll make it up to you for as long as I live."

Things started to make more sense to Natsuki at this point. Now she knew why Shizuru was being so irritable these past weeks. She knew the reason why Shizuru had stopped talking to her so suddenly. She understood why Shizuru did what she did. She understood and yet, "Why didn't you come talk to me?" she asked. "I would have done something if I knew I was hurting you."

Shizuru shook her head. "Natsuki had already made her wishes clear to me," she said. "I didn't want to burden with my feelings anymore. I didn't want you to do something foolish out of pity because ... Natsuki can be too kind hearted for her own good."

The offhanded compliment from Shizuru made another blush explode on her face. "But," Shizuru continued on. "I've made a mistake. I shouldn't think Natsuki is so naive. I should trust you to make better judgments. That is why I am here to confess my love again!" If possible, the declaration made Natsuki's face redder. Not daring to meet Shizuru's eyes, she quickly averted her gaze to the floor. **_'W-W-WHAT? What is she doing?'_** The audible gasp from her classmates only made Natsuki more uncomfortable. **_'I can't believe this idiot is doing this in front of the whole class!'_**

"Natsuki?" Shizuru called her name softly, forcing her to face the determined red eyes again. "I came here to do two things. First, is to apologize for all the horrid things I've done to you. Second, is to tell you how I feel about you. So, let me tell you that now!" she said. "Natsuki, I love you! I've loved you ever since you were in middle school and I don't think I'll ever stop! Now, I need you to tell me if you feel the same way!"

If Shizuru wasn't holding her shoulders, Natsuki would've fallen over right then. Her day had turned upside down. A while ago, she had the undoubtable notion that Shizuru hated her. Now she was realizing that it was quite the opposite. **_'So Shizuru doesn't hate me. She was doing it because she thought I didn't feel the same way. Which means ...'_** Natsuki's heart started to flutter. She was too overwhelmed to speak.

"BUT," Shizuru was still talking. "If Natsuki doesn't feel the same then I implore you, please let me still be your friend. I know I've hurt you bad but I give you my word! It will never happen again!" Shizuru cocked her head. Her lips quirked up in a bemused smile. When she spoke again, the uncertainness was evident in her voice. "You ... will still be my friends. Won't you, Natsuki?"

Shizuru was asking the question in earnest and Natsuki wanted to give an honest answer. She didn't know how she was going to go back to being friends with Shizuru when her feelings were more than that of friendship. "I don't know anymore," Natsuki answered truthfully.

"I-I see," said Shizuru. "Natsuki really hates me then?"

"W-What? No!" Natsuki shook her head vehemently. Shizuru had misunderstood her completely. "N-No! What I'm trying to say is ... ... I don't know how to be your friend anymore because my feelings for you are ... different now. I erm- ..." Natsuki took a deep breath. She couldn't afford to sound like a gibbering idiot right now. Shizuru was here being so honest with her. The older girl had explained her side of the story so Natsuki thought it was only fair that she did the same.

Pushing all her fears and embarrassment aside, Natsuki spoke. "S-Shizuru, being without you these past three weeks made me realize h-how I feel about you. B-but when you stopped t-talking to me, I really thought you h-hated me. I thought there was no chance that you would lo- lo- lo- ... ... erm ..." She couldn't do it. The words were stuck in her throat. Her heart was beating as if it wanted to break out of ribcage. Everything was happening too quick. She couldn't think straight so articulating her thoughts was out of the question. Natsuki wanted to kick herself. Why did she have to be so shy when it came to talking about her true feelings? It didn't help that she had a whole classroom as an audience. Natsuki could only hope that the heart of her message would reach Shizuru.

Natsuki heard the older girl swallow hard. "T-Then ... does Natsuki love me?" she asked.

So her message somewhat got through. But Natsuki wanted to wack Shizuru over the head for asking her such an embarrassing question in front of all these people. Was Shizuru really expecting her talk about this right now? "Wha- You want me to answer NOW?" Natsuki panicked.

"If not now, then when, Natsuki?" Shizuru argued. "I am tired of waiting! I'm tired of always misunderstanding each other! For once, I want you to tell me how you really feel about me!"

Natsuki was stunned. Shizuru knew how shy she was and yet, she was still being asked to put on a public show? "You're joking right?" Natsuki deadpanned.

She sensed a sudden change in Shizuru's demeanor. Her words made something snap inside the older girl. Shizuru's breathing became ragged. "Joke? ... JOKE? This is not a joking matter to me!" Shizuru snapped, looking ready to flip out. "YOU are NOT a joking matter to me! Do you even realize what I would do for you, Natsuki? I don't care if an Xbox falls on my head. I don't care if I bleed to death! I don't care if people think I'm suicidal! I don't care if I have to climb down a buildings from the 8th floor! I don't care if I nearly fell to my death. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN if I am flashing my naked posterior to the rest of the world! I WILL FIGHT CRAZY OLD LADIES WITH A WALKING STICK! I will kidnap doctors and threaten to have them violated! I'll steal cars! Do a high speed chase with half the Fuuka Police Force behind me! I WILL DO THEM ALL OVER AGAIN IF YOU CAN POSSIBLY LOVE ME BACK!"

All Natsuki could do was stare at Shizuru like she had gone off the deep end. She was utterly bewildered by what she heard. "What in the world happened to you?" Natsuki asked.

Shizuru pinched her nose bridge with a tired frown. "Unspeakable things," she said. She took a moment to steady her breathing before she spoke again. "I'm sorry for startling you just now Natsuki. It's been a long day and its catching up to me, I'm afraid."

"It's all true though. I can vouch for that," Haruka added.

Now, Natsuki was even more bewildered. She couldn't even begin to believe what she had heard. "But w-why? How? Why would you do those things-"

"Because I'm crazy!" Shizuru said with a firm conviction. "I am crazy about you, Natsuki. I'm crazy enough to do anything for your love. I feel like my whole head is screwed on the wrong way when it comes to you! I am deliriously in love with you!" she said.

Natsuki flushed at the blunt declaration. "I love you, Kuga Natsuki," Shizuru repeated. "I don't know how I can make myself any clearer than this. I am absolutely smitten with you. I feel like I can't go on another day without you. I love you more than anything and I want to know if you feel the same way." Shizuru's red eyes bore down on her. "Please Natsuki, I have to know," she finished her confession with a desperate plea.

Hearing those words gave her courage. Natsuki's heart swelled, knowing that Shizuru was bearing her innermost feelings. She didn't want to cower anymore. **_'The whole classroom be dammed!' _**she thought. She didn't care who was watching. For once in her life, Natsuki wanted to say what she really felt with abandon. Just for once, she wanted to be impulsive and stop over-thinking the situation. **_'If Shizuru wants an answer, she will get it!' _**she psyched herself up. She was finally going to say it-

"We all know you're in lurrrrveeee with Fujino so say it already mutt!" the loud heckle from Nao interrupted Natsuki.

"Come onnnn Natsuki! We know what your answer is gonna be so just say it!" said Mai.

Natsuki glared at both of them. "If I had a gun, I'd shoot you both," she said before turning back to Shizuru. "Must they all watch?" she asked weakly. Her friends were starting to crush the nerve Natsuki had just built up.

Shizuru snapped her fingers. "Ara, if privacy is what Natsuki wants then I have just the thing!" The older girl grabbed a book from a nearby desk. She pulled Natsuki closer to the wall. Shizuru opened the book and held it up beside Natsuki's face like a curtain. It only shielded Natsuki's head from all the onlookers in the classroom. "There!" Shizuru chirped, looking very proud with her handiwork.

Natsuki gawked. "Really Shizuru? This is your idea of privacy?" she snapped. The older girl looked like she wanted to argue but Natsuki added hurriedly, "But I guess it will have to do."

"So, what will be your answer Natsuki?" Shizuru asked. This time, Natsuki was ready to answer but not with words. She was never good with words so she was going to express herself with an action instead. Natsuki yanked Shizuru down by her collar and pressed their lips together. Although, they were kissing behind a book, Natsuki was all too aware of the audience in the room. Their lips only met briefly before Natsuki pushed Shizuru away.

"D-Does that answer your question?" Natsuki asked with a bashful smile.

Shizuru gazed at her with a quixotic grin. She sounded like a person in a dream when she spoke. "Ara, I didn't quite catch that. Could Natsuki say it again?" That earned a mock glare from the younger girl. Shizuru put her free arm around Natsuki's waist and pulled her closer. "I love you," she said.

The younger of the two blushed. "I- I- .. erm ... S-Shizuru don't make me say it out loud right now. Everyone's listening. It's embarrassing," Natsuki said shyly. She felt like an idiot for choking up like this. However, the older girl was smiling like her words made all the difference.

"Natsuki doesn't have to say anything if she doesn't want to!" Shizuru piped. "Because I'll be saying it enough for both of us. I love you, my precious Natsuki."

Haruka took that moment to interrupt them. "You might as well say it too Kuga! You two already kissed, right? It's behind a book and all but we could still tell. Actually, we pretty much heard everything."

Natsuki's face became redder than a tomato. Laughing, Shizuru broke their embrace. Natsuki on the other hand, did not find the situation to be as amusing. She couldn't have a private moment with Shizuru without their friends scrutinizing and dictating everything. "Go away. Seriously, all of you just go away," Natsuki grumbled.

Shizuru put the book away. "Well, since everybody already knows, I might as well do this in the open," she said. "Natsuki, I want to ask you a question. Although, I think I already know the answer, I still want to ask you for formality's sake."

That got Natsuki curious. "Go on."

Shizuru took hold of her hand. "Natsuki, I know this is the wrong place, wrong time, ..." Shizuru looked down at her attire "... wrong outfit and we're in the worst circumstances possible. But in spite of all that, I want to ask you a question with the whole classroom, Doctor Laula, Doctor Anh and our friends as witnesses," she said. "Kuga Natsuki, will you be my girlfriend?"

Mai started squealing shamelessly. "Say yes! Say yes!"

"Go for it Natsuki-kun!" said Chie.

Anh was hopping up and down while clapping excitedly. "Awwwww, it's almost like a little marriage proposal!" she said.

"She better say yes after what Fujino put me through today!" Laula shouted.

That was only a few of much endless chatter that started circulating around the room. Some were cheering her on while others threatened her. Natsuki rolled her eyes. "No pressure, right?" she said, facing Shizuru. They both shared a smile. They already knew what the answer was so Natsuki didn't have to do anymore soul searching.

"Yes," she said simply.

As soon as the word left Natsuki's mouth, the whole room erupted into a roar. Shizuru pulled her into a tight embrace. "You've made me the happiest person in the world," she whispered in Natsuki's ear.

"Shizuru?"

"Hmmm?"

"I-I love you," she whispered, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

The older girl hugged her closer, "I love you t-" Shizuru didn't get to finish her sentence as they began to get yanked from all sides.

"YES!" Haruka shouted. "You finally did it Bubuzuke! YOU GOT YOUR GIRL!" She threw an arm around Shizuru's neck and gave it a crushing squeeze, making the said girl stagger from the embrace.

Chie caught Shizuru's flailing hand and gave it a good shake. "Congratulations, Kaichou-sama!" she said.

Yukino shook Shizuru's other free hand. "Good for you, Kaichou-sama!" she said

Natsuki was also going through a similar experience. Nao gave her several hard slaps on her back while Mai engulfed her in a bear hug.

Everyone was gathered around the couple and celebrated the union. Even the two doctors were affected by the overly excited group of girls. Laula shook her head, "I swear. I hate high school drama."

"Says the person with the big fat grin on her face," Anh teased.

However, the celebration didn't last too long. Haruka cleared her throat and called everyone's attention. "Well! The four of us went through hell today but in the end, we did what we came to do! This whole operation was a success!" she said. "But … now that it's over, I'm afraid we're gonna have to face up to what we did."

"Ah crap! The police! I forgot all about them!" Nao whined.

"Don't worry about the police, Yuuki-san," said Shizuru. "I will make sure no harm comes to any of you."

Now Natsuki was worried. She didn't know what they were talking about ... AGAIN. And she didn't like what she was hearing. "What about the police?" she asked. She gave the older girl a stern look. "What's going on? Shizuru! What did you do?"

Shizuru smiled guiltily. "Natsuki, do you remember all the things I said when I blew up on you a while ago. I'm afraid I'm not fabricating any of it. I did those and more. Therefore, I'll probably be arrested it."

"ARRESTED?" Natsuki hollered.

Shizuru gave her an apologetic bow. "I'm _really _sorry, Natsuki. I know this is our first official day as a couple and all. I promise I'll make it up to you when I get out of jail," she begged.

Natsuki felt like passing out. "JAIL?! How long are you going to be gone?"

"I am not sure," the older girl said. "I hope this doesn't change a-anything between us ..."

Natsuki was getting a migraine from the news. **_'I give up,'_ **she sighed. Nothing was ever simple with Shizuru. It was useless to try and understand what was going on. She gave Shizuru's hand a gentle squeeze. "No, nothing will change." That much Natsuki could say with certainty. "You idiot, I don't know what kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into now," she said. "Just ... do what you have to do and come back to me soon."

"Natsuki is willing to wait for me?"

Natsuki sensed the anxiety in that voice. She didn't want Shizuru to have any doubt about her. Thus, Natsuki decided to do another daring act. She stood on her tip toes and pecked Shizuru's cheeks. "I'll wait for you. I promise," she said with a warm smile. Natsuki had always been weary of promises but this one, she would keep no matter what.

Shizuru touched the cheek that Natsuki had just kissed. She smiled dreamily, "I am never washing this cheek again," she said.

"Alright, break it up love birds!" Haruka quipped. She began to pull Shizuru away from Natsuki.

"I love you Natsuki," Shizuru said, still holding onto Natsuki's hands.

"I love you too," Natsuki replied this time. She didn't know when she would be able to say that to Shizuru again.

They reluctantly let go of each other "Come on, Bubuzuke! The police are about to get here!" Haruka warned.

"Actually ... I saw some police officers enter the building," Chie said. She was the one closest to the window so no one doubted what she saw. Natsuki heart grew heavy.

Haruka sighed, "See? What'd I tell you?"

"I suppose it's time," Shizuru said. She cleared her throat and addressed the rest of the classroom. "Everyone clear away from the doors, please. Stand close to the windows or at back of class. The police are coming through the door soon and we don't want anyone getting hurt," she ordered.

The students followed her orders and cleared away from the classroom entrance. Shizuru walked up to the very front of the classroom. It was the only area clear of chairs and desk. The police would have an easier time arresting her there. Shizuru raised both hands up as a sign of surrender and faced the classroom entrance. Now, all she had to do was wait for the police to come. Natsuki's hearted wrenched. If she could, she would go with Shizuru. She didn't want the older girl to go alone.

Someone brushed past Natsuki, momentarily taking her attention away from Shizuru. It was Mai. To Natsuki's surprise, her friend was making her way towards Shizuru. Mai stopped next to the older girl and raised her hands. "I guess this is it!" she said.

"Tokiha-san? What are you doing?" asked Shizuru, looking puzzled by Mai's actions.

Mai winked. "Well I've come this far with you, Kaichou-sama. You can't expect me to stop now."

Then, two more people joined them.

"Hey! Let me go!" Haruka flung Nao between her and Shizuru. "Are you seriously gonna make me go to jail?" the red head asked in disbelief.

"Suzushiro-san? Why are you doing this? I told you, I would take care of it," Shizuru protested.

Haruka grinned. "Hey! I don't do things half-assed. We did this together so we're ending this together. You can't ask me to quit halfway! If you're going to jail then I'll go all the way to jail!"

"But I don't wanna!" Nao protested. "Why do I have to go too!?"

"Because you're an accomplice too!" Haruka snapped.

Nao groaned miserably. "Man, I knew I was gonna end up in the slammer one day but not like this …"

Shizuru chuckled. "Yuuki-san, what a horrible thing to say."

"Hey, it's true and you know it," Haruka said. Nao gave the blonde a dirty look but said nothing more.

Shizuru glanced over at her three companions with much gratitude. "I couldn't have done this alone. If it weren't for you all, I would've given up and Natsuki and I wouldn't be together," she said. "So, thank you everyone. How could I ever repay you?"

"No thanks necessary. I didn't do it for you," Nao replied curtly. Such a rude response from Nao was normal for Shizuru. The young red-head's hatred for her was no news. The older girl was about to wave it away like she typically did when Nao spoke again. "But I guess ... what you did today was ... pretty cool," she continued. It was barely a compliment but Shizuru knew it meant a lot because it came from Nao.

Shizuru's face split into an uncontrollable elated smile. "Ara, when I say 'repay' I'm not saying it to be polite. Ask anything of me and I'll do it within reason," she said.

"Oh oh! Free lunch coupons for me!" Mai requested.

"Done!" said Shizuru.

"You can't say no every time I ask you a favor!" said Nao.

"Ara ... depends on what you mean by favor ..."

"No more tricking me into doing your work, Bubuzuke!" Haruka demanded.

"Ara but you do it so well."

Natsuki shook her head in amusement as she watched the four of them continue to talk casually as if they were lining up for their food at the cafeteria. She observed them with mild interest. She didn't know the full details of what had transpired since yesterday night but an odd friendship was blooming between them. After all, it was one thing to be a faithful friend and another to be willing to go to jail together.

"Things got really crazy along the way," Mai said. "But at least everything worked out in the end."

Nao scoffed. "Ohhh yeah everything worked out real well and that's why we're all going to JAIL," she said with much scorn.

"Well, at least this whole plan was a success," Haruka argued. "I was getting worried because Fujino and Kuga kept dragging things on. I'm like- damn just say you love each other so we can get on with our lives already!"

"But in the end I got the girl!" Shizuru rebutted.

"Yeah you got the result but your execution was crappy! I bet I could've done a better job than you!" Haruka taunted.

"I doubt it, Suzushiro-san," Shizuru challenged. "Given the same situation, you wouldn't do any better."

Haruka never took it well when somebody undermined her. "HEY! I _am _in the same situation as you! I'm going to jail too but I bet I can STILL do a better job than you right now!" she shouted. It didn't help that everyone was giving her dubious looks.

"You're saying you can confess to Kikukawa now?" asked Nao.

"Right here? Right now?" Mai confirmed.

"Yes. I. can." Haruka said brimming with confidence.

Shizuru grinned. "Ara, then do it Suzushiro-san. I dare you!"

"Yeah! Do it!" Nao cheered.

Natsuki's eye brows twitched uncontrollably. **_'Those idiots!' _**She didn't want Yukino to go through the same thing she did. She and the rest of the class had heard everything. Natsuki could only have a futile hope that Haruka would back down for poor Yukino's sake but unfortunately, Suzushiro Haruka was never one to run from a challenge.

"Dare accepted!" she said. Haruka whipped around with her hands still above her head in surrender. "Oi! Yukino!"

Yukino straightened her back and stood to attention. "Y-Y-Yes, H-Haruka-chan?"

"Yukino, I love you!" said Haruka. "I know you love me too so don't even try to deny it! That's why you're my girlfriend from now on! I'm going to jail for a while! So you better not see anyone else while I'm gone! We will resume this relationship when I get out! Are we clear?" Haruka all but bellowed.

"Y-Yes Haruka-chan!" Yukino replied like she was answering to a higher commanding officer in the military.

"Good! Carry on!" Haruka turned back to face the door with a victorious smile. As soon as Haruka turned, Yukino crumbled to the floor like a broken doll.

"Kikukawa-san!" Chie and Natsuki rushed to Yukino's aid. "Hang in there!"

Oblivious of Yukino's state, Haruka resumed the conversation with her three friends. "See how efficient that was? That was short and sweet! It was better than what Fujino did!"

The whole classroom gaped at the blonde. "What are you talking about?" said Mai. "That was horrible. That was the epitome of horrible! That was the most horrible confession I've ever heard!"

"How is it horrible? My confession was quick and simple, unlike Fujino's long drawn out one," Haruka argued.

Everyone pitied the passed out girl. "Poor Kikukawa," said Nao.

Haruka snorted. "Oh you all are just jealous because I'm better than Fujino and I'm made awesomeness! Mwahahahahahahahahaha"

They all sweat-dropped. "That doesn't even make sense," said Mai but Haruka wasn't listening anymore.

The blonde kept laughing and soon, they all joined it. The three of them laughed at Haruka's antics while Haruka did her strange victory laugh.

When the police officers finally burst into the classroom, the four girls were still laughing. Gun barrels were pointed at them but they didn't care. "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!" came the command. They did as they were told. The police proceeded to cuff the four teary-eyed laughing suspects.

* * *

Same day – Same time – Fuuka Gakuen Classrooms

When the laugher finally died down, the police officers read the four girls their rights. After that, they were allowed to stand but the group was closely guarded on each side by an armed officer.

The same burly police officer whom they saw the hospital was there. He was busy getting everything in order. "We're taking them to the station. Doctor Bianchi, Doctor Lu, you both seem okay. Could you come down to the station with us? We'd like to take your statements," he said. He started moving towards the door where they came in, beckoning his officers to follow.

One of the officers standing behind Nao poked her shoulders hard with his gun, "Move it," he commanded.

Nao stumbled forward from the jab. She immediately whipped around and snarled, "Hey watch it!"

"Don't give me an attitude brat," the man replied, shoving Nao around to face the other way again.

"You have no right to manhandle us!" Mai complained. "We're not resisting!"

Haruka, the most short-tempered one of the group had already snapped. "You do that to Yuuki again and I'll mess you up, you asshole."

"Are you threatening an officer of the law?" the man said sharply.

Shizuru attempted to pacify her livid friend. "Suzushiro-san, please calm down," she said. By instinct, Shizuru tried to take a step towards the blonde.

"Hey! Don't move!" Another guard who stood behind Shizuru prod her hard on her back with his gun.

The sight made Natsuki's blood boil. "STOP HURTING HER!" she shouted. She nearly lunged for him but Chie grabbed her arm.

"Calm down, Natsuki-kun!" said Chie.

But Natsuki's actions had caused the policemen to aim their weapons at her. "STAND DOWN!" the burly policeman ordered.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Shizuru tried to turn around, alarmed that Natsuki was in danger. The officers redirected their aim at her.

"You damn cowards! Are you trying to shoot an unarmed civilian!?" Haruka taunted.

"I SAID STAND DOWN!" the bushy moustanced man shouted.

Tension was building up. It was the kind that preceded a fight. Haruka and Nao, while still cuffed, looked like they wanted to tackle the police officers. If it weren't for Chie, Natsuki would be pounding whoever was hurting Shizuru and vice versa. There was tension and it was the bad kind. It made everyone felt like something bad was soon to happen.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" The interruption came in the form of an infuriated red-head who was none other than their homeroom teacher, Midori. She marched into the classroom, followed by the school doctor Youko and Sakomizu. The three faculty members were astonished when they saw the four captives. "Why are they in cuffs? Release them now!" Midori demanded.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, we can't do that. We're arresting them because they committed numerous felonies," said the policeman with the bushy moustache.

"What's your name again?" Midori addressed the officer who just spoke.

"My name is Miyagi-"

"Alright Officer Miyagi. Tell me what kind of felonies they committed," Midori cut to the chase.

"We're taking these girls down to the station. You can follow us there and we'll give you the full report," Officer Miyagi offered.

"The hell I'm letting you do that!" Midori barked. "If you try to take my students without a clear explanation as to why then I'll take this issue to your boss, to the press, to the mayor and make damn sure all of you in here will never wear your badges again! These girls are boarding here at this school so they are the school's responsibility! They're MY responsibility! And you will NOT come in here and drag my students away at gun point without a clear explanation!" Midori demanded.

"But they are felons-," Miyagi tried to explain.

"THEY ARE MINORS! They are unarmed AND CUFFED if I might add," Midori snapped.

Although he wasn't too pleased, Miyagi signaled his officers to lower their weapons.

Now a bit satisfied, Midori went on. "Now tell me what they did? Is someone hurt? Dead? What?"

"They kidnapped two doctors and stole a car. One of them tried to commit suicide. That's all we know for now," Miyagi said.

Midori's reaction to the Officer's statement was confusion. "They did what?"

"I have suggestion!"Anh raised her hand. "Why don't we all sit down and talk about this? Fujino-san and her friends will explain everything. Laula and I will help out too of course," she said.

Youko gawked when she finally took notice of the two other doctors in the room. "Anh! Laula! D-Don't tell me you're the two doctors that got kidnapped!"

"What's up Youko," Laula said.

"Hey Youko! Nice seeing you here!" Anh greeted.

Officer Miyagi observed the exchange in mild surprise. "You all know each other?" he asked.

Laula nodded curtly. "We went to medical school together," she explained. "But that's beside the point. I'm afraid there has been a big misunderstanding, Officer Miyagi. I suggest we sit down and talk about it first."

"I agree with the Doctor's idea," said Midori. "Obviously, there a lot we don't know. Let's hear Fujino's explanation. Sit down, Officer Miyagi. The rest of you, out!" Midori said to the other students in the room. "Except for Kuga, Harada and Kikukawa. You three stay here."

With collective groans, the students made their way out the classroom. Officer Miyagi appeared to give in to the Midori's adamant demands. He took a seat in a nearby chair. They all waited until the students were gone and everyone was seated.

"Alright, tell me how all this started," Midori said.

All eyes landed on the four captives.

"Very well," Shizuru said. "I will explain everything and anyone can chip in if I miss anything."

"Good enough for me. You may start Fujino," Midori said.

"Well ... it all started when an Xbox fell on my head ... ... ... ... ..."

... ... ... ... ...

... ... ... ... ...

Shizuru told them everything that happened without a speck of lie. By the time she finished, all the people present, including the police officers were beyond astonished.

Midori slammed her fist down on the desk. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU ALL DO IT?" she screamed. "ESPECIALLY FUJINO AND SUZUSHIRO! I EXPECTED MORE FROM THE TWO OF YOU!" They had never seen Midori look this mad. The young teacher's face was red, her eyes were fuming and they could see visible veins pooping up on her temples. "HOW COULD YOU ALL BE SO IRRESPONSIBLE? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS SORT OF THING?" she bellowed.

"Ara. I did it for love!" Shizuru chirped. Her grin grew wider when she heard an embarrassed yelp from Natsuki.

"For friendship!" said Mai, the second cheesiest one of the group. Mai and Shizuru looked at the two other captives expectantly.

Shizuru nudged Haruka's shoulders. Haruka bumped back with a low growl but her lips had the tiniest of smiles. "Yeah, I guess I did it for friendship too," she muttered.

Now it was Nao's turn. "I didn't sign up for any of this shit," she said flatly.

Haruka promptly slammed her foot down on Nao's. "YEOW!" the red-head howled in pain.

Haruka shot Nao a warning glare before retracting her foot. "Don't be foul, Yuuki," she said between gritted teeth.

Nao threw her gaze up at ceiling and let loose a dramatic sigh. Then, for a moment, she discreetly viewed Natsuki from the corner of her eyes. She then quickly shifted her gaze back to the ceiling. She restrained the urge to smile. "I guess I sorta did it for friendship too," she said offhandedly.

They four of them were confident that they were telling the truth.

"So there you have it, Midori-sensei! We did it for love and friendship!" Mai said.

"For love and friendship!" Shizuru piped.

However, Midori did not share their sentiment.

"LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP MY ASS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL" Midori screamed, lunging at the four girls with her hands outstretched. The school doctor caught the furious teacher before she could cause any harm.

"Calm down, Midori," Youko chided, forcefully pulling her friend back down into her chair. She then addressed the officer in charge. "Officer Miyagi, the way I see it- ... these girls didn't hurt anyone. So, is there any need to arrest them still?"

"Ma'am, they kidnapped Dr. Bianchi and Dr. Lu. They also stole a car," Miyagi said pointedly. The teachers became quiet. That was irrefutable. Shizuru had admitted to committing all those crimes. Suddenly, it seemed like they were fighting a lost cause.

"Officer Miyagi, if I may say something," Laula interrupted. All eyes turned to the silver-haired doctor. "Neither me or my colleague plan on charging these kids with kidnapping or auto theft. This was obviously not a premeditated act and they mean no harm. To be honest, I'm rather glad they took me along with them. It gave me a chance to keep an eye on Fujino. She is my patient so it's my legal responsibility to look after her."

"As you can see, we are also unhurt," Anh added.

"But I am aware that we wasted your time," Laula continued. "The Fuuka Police could've been catching real criminals instead of chasing these little troublemakers all over the town. For that, I sincerely apologize on their behalf. I also know that you, as a police officer can still file charges against them but please, I implore you not to. If you must, then you can charge Fujino with a speeding ticket but please, do not put them in jail."

The four captives were eyeing the two doctors with a mix of confusion and gratitude. When their eyes met, Laula gave them a quick wink. The four girls sat on the edge of their seats and held their breaths. They were hopeful. Suddenly, things were looking up for them. The three faculty members seemed to agree as they started to fight for the captives' freedom with renewed vigor.

"These girls are just teenagers," Youko said "Let's admit it. Teenagers do stupid things. They're brash. They make a lot of mistakes but they shouldn't have to go to jail for it. They haven't got the chance to be integrated into society yet and going to jail could possibly ruin their future. It would leave a black spot on their official records. It might make it troublesome when they try to apply for a college or look for a job. I agree that they acted recklessly but they shouldn't have to pay for it for the rest of their lives. Don't you think?"

Officer Miyagi was in a bind. All the arguments were sound. He didn't want to ruin the four girls' future if he didn't have to but he also couldn't let a crime go unpunished. "They still broke the law," he stated.

Laula quickly rebuked. "But they had no malevolent intent!" she said. "What they did was simple minded stupidity. I don't think that's jail worthy!"

Miyagi shook his head. "Law breakers need to be punished!" he argued. "I don't want them to think that they can do anything and get away with it!"

"And they will be punished!" Laula insisted. "But let the teachers here decide what their punishment is! I understand what you're saying Officer Miyagi but I still believe they shouldn't go to jail! Compared to other criminals you've arrested, what these kids did must be laughable! "

Officer Miyagi replayed Shizuru's story inside his head. The irate frown on his face slowly morphed into an amused smile. He had been a police officer for 30 years but he never handled a case such as this. He chuckled, "It was rather laughable wasn't it?" he mused.

Midori also stepped in. "Yes, hilarious. But I assure you, no one will be laughing after we decide their punishment," she said. "We will have a faculty meeting with the headmistress and discuss about it."

"Hmm," Miyagi made a non-committal sound. They all waited anxiously for the officer to say something. When he finally spoke, he addressed Shizuru. "Fujino-san?" he said.

"Yes sir?"

"I know young people can be headstrong and irrational when it comes to matters of the heart but that does not excuse what you did," Miyagi said. "Your reckless driving could have hurt someone. You put yours and your friends' life in danger. You wasted my time and Doctor Laula's for you own selfish reasons. Do you realize that?"

"Yes sir," Shizuru answered. "But in my defense, I am usually quite rational. Just not when it comes to that girl." Shizuru tilted her head in Natsuki's direction.

Haruka quickly crashed her foot down on Shizuru's feet, making the girl wince in pain. "WHAT FUJINO is trying to say is that we understand completely Officer Miyagi! We will not do such thoughtless acts again!" she said.

Officer Miyagi sighed. "You better not! Because I won't be so lenient next time!" he said. "As for this incident ... Since the kidnapped victims themselves are speaking up for you, I will give you all the benefit of the doubt. They must really think there's something good in you. I also want to apologize if my men were a bit rough. We don't like to take chances when we're dealing with criminals."

"So they're not going to jail?" Natsuki asked just to confirm.

"As long as they stay out of trouble from now on," Miyagi said. "Uncuff them!"

On Miyagi's order, their cuffs became undone. They were free.

Natsuki, Yukino and Chie ran to them.

"Shizuru!" Natsuki threw her arms around the older girl.

"Haruka-chan!" Yukino did the same with Haruka.

"What about me?" Nao asked with a small pout.

"Ara ara," Anh walked over to the slightly distraught red-head. "You can hug me if you'd like."

Nao immediately jumped into Anh's arms. "Score! I get a hug from the Pretty Doctor Lady!"

Mai and Chie smiled fondly while watching the rare scene of Nao being cozy and sweet with someone ... except, it didn't remain that way for long.

Anh merely giggled while Nao happily nested her head between the doctor's ample bosoms. "Ohhh man," Nao groaned. "Doc, your boobies are so soft. Can I motorboat them?" Mai answered for Anh by striking the back of Nao's head.

Overall, a pleasant atmosphere had settled in the room. Everyone was happy and none could be happier than Natsuki. She didn't care if she was hugging Shizuru in public. She was just happy that the older girl wasn't going anywhere.

"Ara, Natsuki is being so affectionate," Shizuru said. "Maybe I should try going to jail more often."

"Hey!" Haruka smacked Shizuru's back. "That's not funny. Don't even joke about it."

People who knew Shizuru's playful nature only laughed but for Officer Miyagi however ... "I'm already regretting my decision," he muttered. His business here was done but he had to ask one more question before his departure. "Ma'am," he addressed Midori, "Just out of curiosity, what will most likely be their punishment?"

A vile smile appeared on the young teacher's face. "If it's up to me, then let's just say the janitors are taking a verrrry long paid vacation," Midori said.

"Fair enough," Miyagi laughed. "Do keep me posted on how they're doing." He extended a friendly hand towards the teacher.

"I sure will," Midori said, shaking Officer Miyagi's hands.

"I'll walk you out Officers," Sakoimizu offered.

"Goodbye and thank you Officer Miyagi!" said Shizuru and they all waved them out. Only in the absence of the uniformed officers, they were all truly able to relax. "Well, that's that!" chirped Shizuru.

Natsuki let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't 'that's that' me, Shizuru! Do you even know how lucky you are?"

"Of course I do. I'm holding you in my arms aren't I?" Shizuru asked with a suggestive grin.

Natsuki signed again. "You're impossible."

"But Natsuki loves me anyways."

"I guess …," Natsuki murmured back with a small blush. She was too overjoyed to be annoyed with Shizuru. Her day had completely turned around. Not long ago, she was a sobbing mess who felt like she couldn't go on anymore and now she was standing here, overflowing with happiness alongside the person she loves.

"Thank you for everything, Doctor Laula. We would be in jail right now if it weren't for you," Shizuru said when the silver-haired Doctor walked up to the couple.

"She's right," said Haruka, joining the group along with Yukino, whose hands were linked with hers. "That Officer Miyagi was stubborn but you were pretty ballsy too Doctor," she said.

"I agree. You were kinda awesome Doc," said Nao. "You were going head to head with that police officer like you have balls of steel!"

Laula frowned at the expression. "Balls of steel?" she echoed. "Isn't that idiom usually reserved for men?"

Nao rolled her eyes. "Seesh, fine if you want to be all technically correct then I'll rephrase what I said." She cleared her throat. "Doc, you were going head to head with that police officer like you have boobs of-"

Mai bopped Nao hard on the head before she could finish the lewd sentence. "Thank you for everything you did for us Doctor Laula and Doctor Anh. We are very grateful," Mai said.

Anh smiled graciously. "You are quite welcome! But I'm afraid our job here isn't done yet."

Laula nodded. "Anh's right. Our job is not done until we get Fujino back to the hospital."

Shizuru's arms tightened around Natsuki as if she were a life line. "Ehhhhh! But I just got here!" she protested.

"And you're coming back with us right now!" Laula snapped. "You shouldn't even be here! You're supposed to be resting in bed!"

"But I don't want to!" Shizuru complained much like a petulant child.

Natsuki knew this problem was not going to be solved unless she did something. "Shizuru, don't be difficult. Listen to the Doctors okay? Please go with them and don't make me worry anymore," she scolded gently.

Shizuru immediately deflated. She did not have the ability to deny Natsuki of anything. "If that is Natsuki's wish then I will go," she said. "Will Natsuki come visit me?"

"I will."

"Come on," Laula proceeded to drag Shizuru away. This time, Natsuki willingly let go because it was for Shizuru's own good. Still, Shizuru made everything as difficult as possible by hanging onto Natsuki and being a dead weight. Sometimes, Shizuru's childishness knew no bounds but Laula and Anh were able to tow her away between the two of them.

"Why are you doing this to me Doctor? I just got Natsuki and you are taking me away from her!" Shizuru whined.

"Oh, just shut up you big goof," Laula groused.

Everyone watched in amusement as Shizuru begged, pleaded, whined, cajoled and complained while a very annoyed silver-haired doctor hauled her away.

"Alright, listen here people," Midori addressed them all. "Yuuki, Tokiha and Suzushiro, you three go home. The rest of you get back to your classes. I don't want to hear about anymore troubles. Got it?"

Haruka was all too glad to agree. "Sounds good to me. I need to sleep," she said.

Nao yawned. "Ditto."

"Yeah, I'll see you all later," said Mai.

The three girls left for their respective dorm rooms. Natsuki and the rest of the girls took their seats again. Soon after, the students began to pour back into the classroom. The lessons resumed as usual. Her classmates gave her curious looks but Natsuki didn't care. She knew her reputation as the Ice-Princess would stop them from approaching her with questions.

Natsuki looked out the window once more. The day was still beautiful. A while ago, she thought the day was in such contrast with how she was feeling inside but now it was different. She ran her fingers along her lips. Shizuru came to mind. It made her smile**. _'Yep,'_** Natsuki thought the day was now very much in unity with how she was feeling.


	8. Chapter 8

**Revelations and Reconciliations.**

A day later – Near midnight – Natsuki's apartment

Natsuki was flipping through the channels on her TV while sipping from a cup of coffee for no apparent reason. Usually, she would be playing video games but now that her Xbox was gone, she really didn't have anything better to do.

She checked her cell phone again. Still, no missed calls or messages from Shizuru.

Natsuki and her friends had gone to see Shizuru at the hospital yesterday night. They brought some spare clothes and Shizuru's cell phone. Unfortunately, they didn't make it past the front desk. Doctor Anh had met them there and informed them that they couldn't see Shizuru due to the hospital rules. Only family members were allowed to see her. Doctor Anh apologized profusely and offered to deliver Shizuru's belongings. It was frustrating but Natsuki understood. Shizuru probably gave the hospital quite a scare so they weren't taking any chances. Natsuki thought about calling the older girl that night. But she didn't want to disturb Shizuru if she was sleeping. So, she decided to wait until the next day.

Today, she called Shizuru during her lunch time. The memory of it still made her stomach flip. The call had gone through but it wasn't Shizuru who picked up. The woman on the other line introduced herself as Shizuru's mother and Natsuki nearly dropped her phone. She was sure Shizuru's mother would chew her out because she was the one who put Shizuru in the hopistal. But to her relief, Shizuru's mother was really nice. She thanked Natsuki for looking after her daughter. The doctors were running some tests on Shizuru so she wasn't able to come to the phone. The nice lady promised to tell her daughter that Natsuki called.

During that whole time, Natsuki was having lunch with all her friends. They all saw how freaked out she was over the call. Haruka was nice enough to check up on her later. "Oi, Kuga. Are you okay?" she had asked.

Natsuki told her what happened.

"Oh, great! Her parents are finally in town," Haruka had said. "They're always away on business so Bubuzuke doesn't get to see them a lot. They probably want to spend some time together." After that, Natsuki decided to leave Shizuru alone for the rest of the day. The older girl probably wanted to spend some quality time with her parents. Shizuru would call her when she was free.

Natsuki waited the whole day but there was still no call or messages from Shizuru. Now, it was nearly midnight.

Natsuki turned off the TV and gulped down the last of her coffee. A sigh escaped her lips. "Time for bed I guess …," she muttered. She would try to call Shizuru again tomorrow or try to visit her again at the hospital.

She decided to put the coffee cup away and head for bed. She was on her way to the kitchen with her empty mug when her phone finally rang for the first time that day. She had left it on the couch.

Natsuki threw her cup in the kitchen sink and made a dash for the phone. She literally dived into her couch and grabbed the ringing device. She checked the caller ID and her heart thumped. It was Shizuru. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat before she answered. "Hello?"

_ "Hello, Natsuki," _the familiar melodious voice came through. It made her heart flutter.

"Hey Shizuru, w-what's up?"

_ "Ara, do I need a reason to call my girlfriend?"_ Natsuki blushed dark red. Although she had accepted the fact that they were going out, it was still embarrassing when Shizuru said it out loud.

"O-Of course you don't need a reason! I-I'm just-" she stopped stuttering and growled when she heard a small chuckle.

_"I'm just kidding, Natsuki ... I'm sorry it took me this long to call you back. My parents were in town. They wanted to spend some time with me."_

"It's okay. Suzushiro told me about your parents so I understand ... Are you with them right now?"

_ "No, they've gone back to England. I saw them off just now. Now, I'm on my way back from the airport."_

Natsuki's brows furrowed. "Airport? So you're out of the hospital?"

_"Ara, yes I just got discharged this evening. My parents took me out to dinner. We went to the airport afterwards ..."_

"S-so where are you now? Are you back in your dorm?"

_ "Not quite. I'm not too far from it though ..._"

"Oh!" So Shizuru was headed back to her dorm room. It wasn't far from where Natsuki lived. She could be over there in 15 minutes. "Can I come over?" she asked excitedly.

_"Ara, I rather you not Natsuki. I don't want you to be out so late."_

"O-oh,"Natsuki's heart dropped.

_"Natsuki? Are you all right?"_

"Y-Yeah. You just got out of the hospital so you probably want to rest. I'm just gonna keep you up." It was a sensible thing to do but she still felt a bit crestfallen.

_"Hmmm, Natsuki sounds upset."_

"N-No! I'm not upset." She wasn't upset but she did feel disappointed. She expected Shizuru to be eager to see her as soon as she got discharged from the hospital.

_ "Ara, then why does Natsuki sound sad?" _The soft accusation made Natsuki smile. Shizuru knew her too well sometimes. She couldn't lie to the older girl.

"Really Shizuru, I'm fine …," she denied half-heartedly. She was never good at lying, especially not to Shizuru, so she decided to be a little honest. "But … maybe I'm missing you a little bit ..." she said, patting the seat beside her. She had sat in her apartment alone for the whole evening. In fact, for three whole weeks, it had been like this every single night. If someone were to ask what Natsuki wanted right now, it would be to have Shizuru sitting beside her. That was all she wanted ...

**_'Who am I kidding?'_** Natsuki groaned internally. She really missed Shizuru. She missed being around Shizuru. She missed everything about Shizuru. "I really want to see you," she croaked before she could stop herself. She wanted slap herself right then for saying something so needy but she was tired- ... tired of lying to herself. She couldn't take back what she said, so she braced herself for the oncoming tease from Shizuru. But Shizuru only asked a simple question. _"Natsuki really wants to see me?"_

"... Yes," she answered, too tired to deny anything.

_ "Then open the door ..." _Her brows furrowed for a moment, then she gasped. Natsuki scampered off the couch and rushed to the front door. After fumbling with the lock, she wrenched it open. Leaning against her door frame, sporting a dark hoddie with a gray v-neck underneath and form fitting dark jeans was none other than the person Natsuki had been wanting to see all day.

"Surprise!" Shizuru greeted.

"H-Hey!" Shizuru was here. **_'Oh my god. Shizuru is here! What do I do? What do I do? My hair is not fixed! I'm in my house clothes! I look like a mess!'_** Natsuki hadn't combed her hair. She was wearing a raggidy tank top and shorts. She really felt the need to fix herself right now ."May I come in?" Shizuru asked, bringing Natsuki out of her agitated thoughts.

_ **'Gah, it's not like Shizuru never seen me like this! We had sleepovers before! Stop being so self-conscious Natsuki?!'** _she gave herself a mental slap. "S-Sure. Come in." The older girl came in holding a small duffel bag over her shoulders. Natsuki closed the door and made her way over to the couch along with Shizuru.

Shizuru dropped her bag near the couch. "I hope I'm not intruding," Shizuru apologized. "I know I shouldn't be disturbing Natsuki this late but … I just had to see you."

Natsuki's heart warmed. "I-It's fine. Like I said … I wanted to see you too." She was happy to know that Shizuru was just as eager to see her.

The older girl gave her a small smile. "I'm glad. Shall we sit?"

Natsuki meticulously chose her positions on the couch. She made sure not to sit too close to Shizuru. It was odd. They had shared the couch countless times before but Natsuki was never aware of how far or close they sat. She didn't know what to do after they sat down. **_'Be a good hostess maybe?' _**she thought. "H-Have you had dinner?" she asked.

"Yes, I ate with my parents."

Natsuki wanted to slap her forehead.** _'Idiot. She just told you that over the phone.' _**"Would you like something to drink?" she tried again. Honestly, she really wasn't sure what she should be doing? She was Shizuru's girlfriend but how was a girlfriend supposed to act?

"Ara, some tea would be nice." Natsuki felt like leaping for joy when Shizuru finally gave her something to do.

"I'll go make you some!" Natsuki jumped on the task and headed for the kitchen. Shizuru followed her in a much calmer pace. Natsuki had started keeping tea leaves around her apartment because of Shizuru's frequent visits. Natsuki had watched Shizuru make tea several times so she knew what to do. **_'Or so I hope ...' _**She grabbed the tea kettle and filled it up with water. She put the kettle on the stove and fired it up. She took some tea bags out of the cabinet and placed them on the counter. Noticing how quiet Shizuru was, Natsuki checked what the other girl was doing. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the hesitant frown on her companion's face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Shizuru was doing her infamous thinking pose. "I'm not sure if I trust Natsuki enough to let her loose in the kitchen."

"H-hey! It's just tea!" It offended her that Shizuru had so little faith in her. "You have no right to say you don't trust me in the kitchen. You've never even tried my cooking before!"

A mystified smile appeared on Shizuru's face. "Ara, so Natsuki's insinuating that she can cook?"

"Sure. I can cook a few dishes," Natsuki shot back. She ate ramen because it was fast and easy to make. She was not totally incompetent in the kitchen. Granted, she wasn't as skilled as Mai or Shizuru but she could grill meat and make a kick-ass barbecue.

"Ara, then would Natsuki cook for me one day?" asked Shizuru.

Natsuki considered it. She could cook dinner for both of them one night. **_'It would be like a date.'_** The thought brought a red tinge to her cheeks. She wasn't against the idea at all. "Yeah, I would like that ..." she answered.

Shizuru smiled like someone who won a million dollar lottery. "I look forward to it then!" she said. "I just hope Natsuki's cooking won't put me in that awful hospital again."

"Hey!"

"Kidding, kidding. I'm sure the food will be lovely. I really am looking forward to it," said Shizuru. "But in all honestly, I never want to end up in that hospital again. Too many … bad things happened there." The older girl shivered and shook her head, as if she was trying to shake away a bad memory.

Natsuki chuckled. "You're exaggerating. It can't be that bad."

A childish pout appeared on Shizuru's face. "Ara, but it is Natsuki. Doctor Laula threatened to give me a shot of morphine and tie me up to my bed if I tried to escape again. That's not right!" she complained. "Because I don't want anyone else tying me up except my Natsuki!"

Shizuru declaration nearly made Natsuki drop the tea bags. "SHIZURU!" she bellowed. A silver laugh erupted from Shizuru at her discomfort. In spite of her embarrassment, Natsuki started to smile too. Soon, she was laughing along with Shizuru. "You're incorrigible," she said and it only caused Shizuru's smile to widen. She had missed this. **_'I've missed this so much'_**. The improper jokes, the easy banter, the teases … everything. Natsuki was worried when she saw Shizuru at her door but now, she knew she worried for nothing. Shizuru could make her relax just by being around her and Natsuki had missed that the most.

They made small talk while they waited for the tea to brew. Several minutes later, Natsuki proved she could brew non-poisonous tea without making anything explode in the kitchen. She also made herself another cup of coffee and soon, they were back on the couch. "What do you wanna do now?" Natsuki asked.

"Does Natsuki want to sleep soon?"

"Nah. I drank too much coffee so I'm wired." Natsuki checked her watch. "It's late. A-Are you gonna sleep here?" she asked nervously.

"Only if Natsuki doesn't mind," Shizuru replied.

"Of course not. You're always welcome here," said Natsuki. "Actually, I w-would insist. I-I don't want you going back so late." Natsuki's heart rate began to pick up. **_'I'm Shizuru's girlfriend now and this is the first time she's gonna spend the night at my house ...'_ **Natsuki wanted to bang her head against the wall. Shizuru had slept over many times but it never made her this nervous. She didn't know what was happening to her. **_'Why is it that being around Shizuru makes me nervous and relaxed at the same time?'_**

Shizuru was thankfully unaware of her troubled thoughts. "I'll take the couch, just like always," said the older girl.

"Okay ..." Natsuki wasn't pleased with the sleeping arrangements. Shizuru just got out of the hospital and she didn't want the older girl to be uncomfortable but she knew better than to argue. The last time Natsuki tried that, she found out just how strong Shizuru's arm strength was. Shizuru had carried her, bridal style, back to her bed room and dropped her down unceremoniously on her own bed. The older girl had repeated the process as many times as she needed until Natsuki finally gave up. Shizuru was incredibly strong and stubborn when she wanted to be.

Another option would be to share the bed. Natsuki's face felt like an inferno. She only ever shared her bed with her mother and Duran. She never even shared a bed with a friend before so the thought of sharing it with Shizuru, her girlfriend, made Natsuki want to hyperventilate. "Natsuki? " Shizuru broke her chain of thoughts with a soft call.

"H-Huh?" she answered.

"How about we watch a movie?" Shizuru suggested. "Something on the television maybe?"

"S-sure," Natsuki picked up the remote and started flicking through the channels.

Natsuki was rather jealous of the older girl. Shizuru was her usual jolly self. **_'Why am I the only one who's so nervous? Well ... ... She's my first girlfriend. First love. First kiss. Pretty much first everything. So it's probably perfectly normal for me to be nervous.'_**That brought something else to Natsuki's attention. _**'T**_**_hen ... m-maybe I'm not her first! There were rumors about she and Reito dating ...' _**Natsuki suddenly felt like shaking Shizuru's shoulders and demanding to know all about her previous boyfriends/girlfriends. **_'How else can Shizuru be so calm? She probably done this with another person before!' _**The thought of Shizuru with another stranger made Natsuki feel uncommonly murderous.

Natsuki swallowed her rage. It wasn't Shizuru's fault that she dated other people before she met Natsuki. She tried to get herself back on the task at hand. She jammed her thumb down on the TV remote buttons using more force than necessary. Natsuki needed something to take her anger out on and the poor remote just happened to be in her hand. The remote was only saved when Shizuru spoke, "How about that one?" she asked.

"A horror flick?" Natsuki frowned. Shizuru didn't usually like this kind of movie. She didn't dwell on it too much. She shrugged. "Why not?"

"I'll turn off the lights. We can see better than way," Shizuru said.

After that, they settled into a comfortable silence and started watching. The movie was almost half way through when they started but they could still understand the story line. **_'This isn't so bad,' _**Natsuki thought. She noticed that they sat a little closer this time. Natsuki could feel their shoulders touching. It distracted her at first but she quickly got used to the feeling. **_'I guess it doesn't matter who Shizuru was with before because she's with me now.'_ **With that thought in mind, she was finally able to focus on the movie.

The movie wasn't very good but it kept Natsuki mildly entertained. Though, she couldn't say the same for Shizuru. She heard the older girl yawn and stretch. Natsuki thought the yawn sounded strange. Then again, Natsuki was super aware of everything Shizuru did today. _'**I'm probably reading into it too much,' **_she thought. Natsuki focused her attention back on the movie. But not a second later, she felt a warm sensation behind her. Confused, she glanced over her shoulders. She saw an arm- ... Shizuru's arm to be exact. It was spread out along the length of the couch. **_'How did that arm get behind me?' _**

Natsuki couldn't shake the lingering suspicion that it had something to do with Shizuru's yawn. **_'_****_First that weird yawn and now her arm is behind me ... Hmmm ...' _**Natsuki was quick to put two and two together. The answer suddenly dawned on her. She gave Shizuru an incredulous look.

"Ara, what wrong Natsuki?"

"You did not just pull the fake-a-big-yawn-then-put-the-arm-around-the-girl trick on me."

Shizuru didn't say anything back but Natsuki saw a visible blush appearing on her face.

"Oh my god! You did! Shizuru, that's so corny!" Natsuki started laughing. "Just wait till I tell your fan girls how corny their Fujino-sama is!"

With a rather sheepish grimace, Shizuru retracted her arm. Natsuki tried her best to stop laughing but she was still grinning from ear to ear. "Aww, hey don't be mad Shizuru. I didn't mean to laugh at you. I just didn't expect that you of all people would use that move on me."

Shizuru smiled ruefully. "No no, I'm not mad at Natsuki. I'm irritated at myself that's all," she said. "To be honest, I don't know what I should be doing. You are my first love, first girlfriend … first everything so I have absolutely no clue as to how to do this. I know I want to do _some things _but I don't know if they are appropriate or not and I rather not do anything that might scare you. I know I tend to make ... promiscuous jokes but that's all they are. They're jokes. I really don't have any experience with this sort of thing and I'm- I'm- ... " Shizuru leaned back on the couch and let out a defeated sigh. "Ahh, this is so frustrating. Was my fake yawn really that bad?"

"Kinda," said Natsuki. Shizuru's face fell immediately. Natsuki had to bite her lips to stop herself from laughing again. It was amusing to see how flustered Shizuru was. Now she knew why Shizuru liked to mess with her so much but she didn't plan on prolonging the older girl's misery. "But I liked it. I thought you were really cute," Natsuki admitted. She really did think Shizuru was adorable. It was also comforting to know that she wasn't the only one who was clueless. Shizuru literally felt the same way. **_'So I'm Shizuru's first everything too!' _**Natsuki sang in her head. She was about to say something more when a blood curling scream came from the television. Startled, Natsuki grabbed onto the nearest thing beside her. "J-Jeez, I wasn't expecting that," she said.

Suddenly, she noticed that something was different. For one, Shizuru's arm had appeared around her shoulders again. She was practically being engulfed in a one-armed hug. Her hands were clutching at Shizuru's shirt. Now suspicious, Natsuki eyes turned into little slits. She stared hard at Shizuru. The older girl kept her poker face but Natsuki kept scrutinizing. Then she saw it. A tiny ghost of a smile passed over Shizuru's face. Things were starting to fall into place now- ... the horror movie, turning off the lights ... everything.

Shizuru had been planning something all along. Natsuki was in disbelief. "Shizuru, are you one of those people who use scary movies to get a girl to hug you?" she accused.

The older girl's small smile became a full blown grin. "Ara, is it so bad if I am?"

Natsuki gaped. "Wow, Shizuru ... you are too old school." She shook her head. Whoever said Fujino Shizuru was suave and smooth had their facts wrong.

"But it worked didn't it?"

Natsuki looked down at their positions. Shizuru's arm _was _around her and she _was _clutching the older girl's shirt. She blushed. "Yeah, I guess it did," she admitted begrudgingly. After that, Shizuru's smile became downright cheeky. She looked like an overgrown child who just got away with doing something naughty. It was rather endearing. Natsuki found herself smiling too.

It made her happy to see Shizuru look so carefree. Natsuki wanted to remember this look on Shizuru. She ran her eyes over the older girl's delicate features. That's when she noticed a small white bandage on the top left side of Shizuru's forehead. Natsuki lifted the older girl's front bangs to get a better look. Her concern wasn't overlooked by Shizuru. "I only tore my skin. It was merely a flesh wound. It's good as new after a few stitches," the older girl explained.

Natsuki touched the bandage lightly, making sure not to put too much pressure on it. "I'm really sorry," she said.

"It was an accident, Natsuki. Please don't blame yourself," Shizuru insisted. "I deserved it after the way I acted."

Natsuki shook her head. "You do deserve to be beaten up by me but not like this. I got scared when I heard you were at the hospital."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Hmm, you better not worry me again," Natsuki murmured softly.

They settled to a comfortable silence after that. Natsuki felt oddly content just to stay there stare at Shizuru and be started back in return. Usually, stares made her uncomfortable; she thought it was rude to openly stare at someone. But Shizuru's stare was different. She didn't mind that Shizuru's dazzling red eyes were gazing into hers. She rather liked it. It felt right to be here with Shizuru like this.

Natsuki berated herself for not acting on her feelings sooner. She had claimed that she didn't know what love was. Now it only made sense that if she didn't know what love was, then she wouldn't know if she was experiencing it or not. **_'Maybe I already loved Shizuru. I just didn't know it.'_** 'Love' was still something very foreign to her. But there was always a first for everything and if Natsuki were to experience this 'love' with someone then she wanted that person to be none other than Shizuru. **_'If only I realized this sooner ... Shizuru wouldn't have to hold back all this time ...,' _**she thought.

'Hey Shizuru?"

"Hmm?"

"Now that we're going out, you don't have to hold back on me anymore, all right?" Natsuki blurted.

"Ara?" Shizuru looked taken aback by her statement.

"Well ... I-I know you've been holding back all this time a-and you don't need to do it anymore," said Natsuki. "I'm your girlfriend. S-So from now on, if you want to hug me t-then just do it. It's not like I'm going to get mad. So you can hug me and ya know, do other stuff c-couples do. If you think I won't like something you want to do t-then just ask me first. So … yeah …" Natsuki put a brake on her ranting before she made a fool out of herself. Shizuru was still staring at her in amazement. **_'Why is she looking at me like that? Did I say something weird?' _**"Idiot … Don't just stare at me like that," Natsuki mumbled.

"I apologize. I am just surprised," Shizuru said hurriedly. "I could only dream of Natsuki saying those words until now." Natsuki felt her face flush red **_'Was that just a figure of speech o-or does she really dream about me? I-I wonder what kind of dreams are they ...'_**

"Anyways," Shizuru said, her voice taking on a lighter tone. "So Natsuki, name one thing you don't want me to do."

Natsuki gave it a thought. What was the one thing she wouldn't want Shizuru to do right now? Only one answer came to mind. "I-I think w-we should take things slow. I don't think I'm ready to ... erm ... g-go all the way."

She saw Shizuru's eyes widen. Then the older girl started laughing. "Ara, Natsuki's already started thinking about _that?" _she asked._ "_And here I am, still having a mental battle about whether to put my arm around you not. Natsuki is ways ahead of me," Shizuru teased.

"No! I wasn't- I mean- I didn't- Grrr! SHIZURU!" At least some things never changed. Shizuru still liked to poke fun at her. She wriggled out of Shizuru's embrace and turned the other way.

It only made Shizuru laugh harder. By the time Shizuru calmed down, Natsuki was royally pissed. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Natsuki is just too cute," she said. "All right, let me ask you another question. I'll be serious this time. I promise."

"Fine," Natsuki growled, still not too pleased.

"If I want to kiss Natsuki now ... would she let me do it?" Shizuru asked.

The question made her face burn. Natsuki was glad she was still turned the other way. Otherwise, Shizuru would surely see how red her face was. "Are you still joking around?" she asked. She didn't want Shizuru to make fun of her again.

"I'm not joking, Natsuki ... That's the only thing I could think about ever since I walked through that door."

Natsuki turned around but couldn't meet Shizuru's eyes. She waited quietly to see if Shizuru would say 'kidding' or laugh it off but nothing happened. The older girl just waited silently. Natsuki was at a loss. She had practically kissed Shizuru in front of the whole classroom the other day and now she was being so shy about it in the privacy of her own apartment. Natsuki didn't know what was wrong with her. Her heart was hammering in her chest, she was slowly ceasing to think straight. And she still needed to give Shizuru an answer. "Why are you a-asking me now? W-We already kissed before," she mumbled. Natsuki was too embarrassed to be making any sense right now but she hoped Shizuru would get her message.

"So is that a yes, Natsuki?"

Natsuki could only manage a shy nod. She heard Shizuru drew in a shaky breath.

Natsuki squeaked in surprise when she felt an arm under her ankles, then around her waist. She was hoisted up and gently brought down on Shizuru's lap. Natsuki didn't know what she should expect next. She stared hard at her own thighs, too embarrassed to say or do anything. All she could hear was her own thundering heart beat and it was making her light-headed. Feeling a little dizzy, Natsuki leaned her head down on what she thought was the couch. She realized she thought wrong when her head came to rest against Shizuru's warm shoulder.

Natsuki would shy away from the contact immediately if it weren't for Shizuru's arm appearing around her shoulders. Following that was the sweet but crisp scent of lavender cologne invading Natsuki's nostrils. She couldn't pull away from this embrace. It was too comfortable. Natsuki felt like she was being engulfed in a warm blanket. She momentarily forgot all her worries until she heard an audible gulp from Shizuru. Natsuki suddenly remembered the kiss. She still didn't know what the older girl was planning to do until she felt a breath on her face. Shizuru was bending her neck to gain access to Natsuki's face even though it was still lowered. Then without anymore warning, Shizuru captured her lips.

Natsuki felt her body go limp. Suddenly having the irrational fear that she might fall, she grabbed Shizuru's shoulders. The fear was irrational because Shizuru would never let her fall. On the contrary, she held Natsuki closer and started moving her lips. The feeling of those soft lips moving slowly against hers made Natsuki's toes curl. She started to kiss back timidly until she remembered something. It made her push Shizuru back with a jolt. "Shizuru h-hold on," she said.

The older girl gave her a questioning look.

"I-I just drank some coffee. S-So I probably have coffee breath right now," she said. "M-Maybe I should go brush my teeth b-before we continue with-"

Her bumbling speech was cut off by another soft kiss. Shizuru pulled back a bit. "You taste heavenly," she whispered before capturing Natsuki's lips again. Although, Shizuru's guarantee was greatly reassuring Natsuki was still painfully shy and nervous. Shizuru's kiss was slow and soft- ... nothing scary and yet, Natsuki's heart was beating insanely fast. But she didn't want to pull away. In fact, she started to feel a tingle in her lips, urging her to kiss back. She gave into the feeling and started pushing her lips back against Shizuru's soft ones. Her eyes closed and Natsuki immediately forgot about everything else. Her mind and body was instantly caught up in the wonderful sensations the kiss was giving her.

That was why Natsuki felt a bit disappointed when Shizuru pulled back. It was only a brief kiss. When Natsuki finally opened her eyes, she was faced with Shizuru's flushed face. The sight was so rare, so foreign. She had never seen Shizuru's face look this red. Her hand came up to caress it. Natsuki ran her fingers over Shizuru's soft skin. Part of her wanted to pull her hand back because she didn't want Shizuru to think she was doing something weird. However, she was encouraged when the older girl leaned into her touch. Her finger started to roam freely over Shizuru's face. She touched from the eye lids to the nose and finally came to rest on the lips. She was reminded of what Shizuru said. **_'My lips taste heavenly huh?' _**she wondered. Even though they had just kissed, Natsuki couldn't quite figure out what Shizuru's lips tasted like. She wanted to say they had no taste but at the same time, she felt like she couldn't get enough of them. Just staring at them made her mouth water ...

Natsuki wanted to taste those lips again. She _needed_ to taste them again. The urge felt too overpowering to resist. Without thinking, Natsuki pressed her lips against Shizuru's unsuspecting ones. She found herself moaning when their lips came in contact. Shizuru's lips were tasteless and yet, she couldn't stop thinking about how good they taste. Natsuki wasn't hungry but she was feeling something like hunger. She wanted to devour those lips.

Natsuki moaned again when she felt Shizuru kiss her back. The feel and taste of Shizuru's lips were purely blissful. Natsuki threaded her hand around Shizuru's neck and pulled their faces closer. She needed to feel more. Shizuru accommodated that need by tilting her head and leaning in closer which effectively deepened their kiss. Natsuki didn't feel so shy anymore. What she did feel was an overwhelming need to explore every inch of Shizuru's lips. The kiss had changed from something slow and chaste to something faster.

Natsuki didn't know how long they kissed but she realized she needed to pull back when she became short of breath. She pulled back and broke the kiss to get some much needed air. She opened her eyes and was greeted yet again by another foreign sight. Natsuki examined Shizuru's face. The older girl had an odd expression on her, one that Natsuki had never seen before.

Shizuru's red eyes were several shades darker. They almost matched the dark blush on her cheeks. Her hair was slightly mussed from the times when Natsuki ran her hands in it. She couldn't pull her eyes away from this sight. For some unknown reason, Natsuki felt very attracted to this slightly messy looking Shizuru. **_'Sexy ...' _**It was another alien word. Never in her life had she thought of anyone as sexy. Natsuki always thought Shizuru was attractive but this time, the attraction was different. This time, the attraction came with the irresistible desire to be physically close to Shizuru.

A low husk of a chuckle from Shizuru broke her thoughts. "Natsuki, am I really the only person you've ever kissed?" she asked.

Natsuki frowned. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Well it's hard to believe," said Shizuru. "Because you are a very, and I mean _very _good kisser."

She would drum her fist down on Shizuru's head for accusing her of such thing if she wasn't so distracted. Natsuki felt bothered but she didn't know why. Was it the heavy rise and fall of Shizuru's shoulders under her fingers? Was it the way Shizuru was holding her? Was it the lingering taste of their kiss? Was it the way Shizuru looked slightly out of breath? She had no idea where this feeling was coming from.

Her eyes flickered to Shizuru's lips again. The bothersome feeling increased tenfold. Then, Natsuki realized what that feelings was. **_'Desire.' _**What she was feeling was the desire to be kissed again. Also, that intense look Shizuru was giving her, she knew what it was now. It was desire. The insight made Natsuki blush bright red but it didn't matter anymore. She knew she was already having a full body blush from their previous kiss.

"Natsuki?" the soft mention of her name caught her attention. "May I kiss you again?" Shizuru asked hesitantly.

To answer that question, Natsuki threw her arms around the older girl's neck and kissed her hard. Though Shizuru was stunned at first, she quickly recovered and was kissing Natsuki back in less than second. Natsuki felt her eyes roll back at the exhilarating sensation. She decided right then that she loved being kissed by Shizuru. The older girl pulled her even closer. Natsuki felt like their bodies were starting to mesh together but she didn't mind. If possible, Natsuki wanted to be tied to Shizuru this way forever.

A small whimper escaped Natsuki's lips when she felt Shizuru's hand move up and down her side. The movement sent a continuous wave of pleasant shivers throughout her body. She couldn't contain herself from mewing softly. Then suddenly, the kissing stopped. Shizuru abruptly pulled away. Natsuki stared at Shizuru like a deer in the headlights. She didn't know what had happened. Natsuki started to fret, **_'Did I do something wrong?'_**

Shizuru was giving her an uneasy look. "Natsuki, are you absolutely SURE you've never done this before?" she asked. "Because you know how to make these ridiculously sexy sounds and-"

This time, head wound or not Natsuki did smack Shizuru over the head. "Shizuru! Just shut up and kiss me!" she demanded.

The older girl didn't need any more encouragement. They both got right back into kissing each senseless but they only got a minute in before they both heard it.

It was the unmistakable sound of someone knocking on the front door.

**_'No no no, not right now!' _**Natsuki thought despairingly. Shizuru felt the same way because she pulled Natsuki closer against her body with a frustrated groan. Natsuki also tightened her hold around Shizuru's neck and they continued their fervent kiss.

An insistent knock came again. Natsuki mustered the half-hearted will to break the kiss. She tried to lean back but despite her efforts, Shizuru's lips followed hers. "Hmm, knocking on ... door," Natsuki mumbled in between kisses. Shizuru's answer to that was to kiss her harder and Natsuki gladly obliged until another loud knock.

Natsuki groaned. As much as she would like this to continue, the person at the door obliviously had no intention of going away. Using all her will power, she pushed Shizuru away as far as she could. The older girl finally broke their kiss with a disgruntled grunt. "I-It might be important. I should get it," Natsuki reasoned.

Shizuru nodded slowly. "You should," she said, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself more than agreeing with Natsuki.

Natsuki on the other hand was definitely trying to convince herself. She bit her lips. "Y-Yeah, I should." **_'I really don't want to but-' _**"I should."

Both made no move to get up. Several moments passed as they both sat there, locked in a heated gaze.

Finally they did make a move but it was to collide their lips against each other and engage in another feverish kiss.

But not a second after, a louder knock came. This time, they both pulled away unwillingly. Shizuru rested her forehead against Natsuki. "You probably should get that," she said, not bothering to hide her glumness.

Giving Shizuru a small apologetic smile, Natsuki pushed herself off the older girl's lap. She turned on the lights before making her wobbly legs take her to the door. She was nearly halfway there when she felt a grasp on her arm. Strong warm hands pulled her back and whipped her around. Soft lips descended on her surprised ones. Soon after, Natsuki found herself smiling into a kiss. Unfortunately, she had to break it quickly before Shizuru could lock her in another embrace. "Shizuru. Stooop ..." she whined.

Shizuru laughed. "It's Natsuki's fault. You're too … kissable."

'**_This really needs to stop,'_**Natsuki thought. If Shizuru kept this up, then Natsuki was going to get her gun and shoot whoever was on the other side of that door. "Behave. I need to answer the door," Natsuki chided.

Shizuru pouted but gave Natsuki a small nod. "I'll be right behind Natsuki. You shouldn't answer the door alone. It's almost midnight."

Natsuki patted herself down. Even though it was nearly midnight, she wanted to look somewhat presentable. "How do I look?" she asked Shizuru.

"Absolutely stunning," Shizuru answered with playful wink.

Rolling her eyes, Natsuki started to unlock her door. She wondered who in the world would be knocking on her door this late.

* * *

Same day – Same time – Natsuki's apartment

When Natsuki finally opened the door, she saw a whole crowd of people. Haruka, Yukino, Mai, Nao, Chie and Aoi were all standing there.

"Jeez, what took you so damn long," Nao griped.

Natsuki gaped. "What are you all doing here?"

Mai shrugged. "You looked kinda down today so we came by to cheer you up. Oh! Kaichou-sama is here too! When did you get out of the hospital?" Everyone started rubbernecking over Natsuki to see Shizuru.

"Eh? Bubuzuke's here?"

"Kaichou-sama! It's great to see you!"

Every single one of them pushed past Natsuki, not bothering to spare her another glance. She begrudgingly closed the door behind them. "Please, do come in," she muttered sarcastically. "It's nice that you all want to cheer me up and all but isn't it a little late?"

"Well, we have no school tomorrow so we thought- ... why not?" said Yukino. "Haruka-chan and I got us some snacks!" She held up several bags of chips.

"I baked some cheese cake!" Mai said.

"We have soda!" Aoi and Chie held up soda bottles.

"I bought nothing!" Nao admitted shamelessly. "Can we eat now?"

Her friends didn't even bother to ask Natsuki's permission as they went about her apartment, making themselves at home. Haruka plopped down beside Shizuru. Nao was rummaging around her TV stand while the others were in the kitchen, preparing the snacks. Feeling rather defeated, Natsuki joined Haruka and Shizuru on the couch.

"Hey mutt, you got anything to watch? Like a DVD?" Nao asked.

Natsuki shook her head. "Trashed the Xbox remember? I have nothing to watch DVDs with"

"Damn Kuga. Why did you have to go all she-hulk on your Xbox. From now on, I'm changing your nickname from mutt to she-hulk!" Nao complained.

Natsuki threw her TV remote at the red-head. "Shut up, Spidey. Watch TV or something."

Temporarily satisfied, Nao picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels but it wasn't long before she started complaining again. "I can't find anything good," she said.

The other girls were now back from the kitchen with the prepared snacks and drinks. Mai was quick to give an input for Nao's problem. "Ohhh! There's this really good drama I've been watching. It's on right now. We should watch it! It's so romantic and funny! Edgar-kun is so handsome!"

Aoi clapped her hand. "I know the one you're talking about! The main character acts just like Kanzaki-san! I like that show too!"

Nao didn't share their excitement. "Oi, I ain't watching some chick flick!"

"It's not a chick flick!" Aoi objected.

"Let's take a vote!" said Mai. "Who's in favor of watching Early and Fairy?"

Haruka scratched her head. "The what and the what now?"

Natsuki threw up her hands. "I am staying out of this."

"I guess I'm fine either way," Shizuru said.

"No preference here," Chie shrugged.

Mai, Aoi and Yukino raised their hands in favor of the drama. "You're outvoted Nao! Hand that remote over!"

"Hell no!"

Natsuki decided to divert her attention from the chaos. She really should run them all out of her apartment for cutting her time short with Shizuru. Fortunately for them, Natsuki was in a good mood today and Shizuru didn't seem to mind their company. All in all, they had been very helpful to both her and Shizuru. Watching them act like buffoons around her apartment was a small price to pay after all they've done for her.

Natsuki focused her attention in the little area where she sat, along with Shizuru and Haruka. She looked over at the blonde. Everyone was eating or drinking something while the blonde was sitting there, empty handed. Natsuki felt the need to offer something. "Hey Suzushiro, you want something to drink," she asked.

Haruka shook her head. "Nah, I'm not much of a soda person."

"You can also have coffee or tea?" Natsuki said.

"Hmm, coffee sounds good," said Haruka. "I guess I'll go get some coffee." She prepared to get up but Natsuki stopped her quickly.

"Sit. I'll go make you some," Natsuki passed a small smile at Shizuru before getting up.

"I don't want to trouble you-"

"No. Please, I insist."

The blonde gave her a grateful smile. "Ah, then a cup of coffee for me please and thank you."

Natsuki headed for the kitchen with a strange realization. She just had her fist conversation with Suzushiro Haruka that didn't involve any yelling, screaming or threats. It wasn't that they hated each other. Haruka was stickler for school rules and Natsuki just happened to break a lot of them before.

After Natsuki prepared the coffee, she walked back into her living room and was greeted by yet another unfamiliar scene. Haruka and Shizuru were laughing together. Usually, Natsuki would see Haruka making death threats while Shizuru would smile and act the fool. **_'I guess she's not that bad.' _**Natsuki really owed a lot to Haruka. If it weren't for the blonde's help, she wasn't sure if Shizuru would have made it to Fuuka that day.

In addition to that pleasant sight, the argument between her friends had also dissolved. Chie and Nao were sitting on the floor near the couch, hogging all the snacks between the two of them. The other girls were perched in front of the TV watching their drama. Natsuki was glad to see that the quarrelling had stopped. She handed the coffee cup to Haruka. "Coffee," she said. She received a terse but polite thanks in return.

Natsuki decided to take her seat again by Shizuru's side. As soon as she sat down, Shizuru put her arms around Natsuki. Her typical reaction to that would be to shriek and run away. She wasn't used to Shizuru being so familiar with her in front of other people. Natsuki waited for others to take notice. She waited for the jeers. She waited for the laughs. She waited for the teases but none came.

Natsuki checked her surroundings. Nobody was looking at them. She gave Haruka a surreptitious glance. They were sitting on the same couch so Haruka was bound to notice but to Natsuki's surprise, Haruka wasn't paying attention either. **_'Well ... Shizuru and I ARE a couple. It's only natural we're this way with each other.'_ **Their friends probably felt the same.

The thought gave Natsuki some courage. Feeling more confident, she snuggled closer to Shizuru's warm body. It felt nice to be able to do that.

"The coffee tastes great Kuga," Haruka stated. "So, how are you holding up? Can't be easy after what went down yesterday? Any of Bubuzuke's fan girls bothering you?"

Natsuki chuckled. "I just glare them down until they go away. It's working out for me so far."

Haruka groaned. "Lucky you. My legs are so sore right now. Been running from Bubuzuke's fan girls all day," she said in a sour note. "They were going on about me taking their Fujino-sama away. Bah, stupid girls."

This surprised Natsuki. Most students tend to stay away from Haruka because of her temperament. "Why don't you just send them to detention?" she asked.

Haruka shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't. " she said. "My right to discipline students has been revoked. The Suzushiro Executive Committee is no longer. Hell, I'm not surprised after what happened the other day."

"I'm sorry." Natsuki felt bad. Sure, Haruka gave her a hard time now and again but she never wanted something like this to happen. The Suzushiro Executive Committee was Haruka's passion. Everyone at school knew that. Despite that fact, Haruka was taking the blow rather well.

"It's not your fault, Kuga," Haruka said. "I blaming this dumbass here." She jabbed an accusing finger at Shizuru.

Shizuru retorted with her ever insufferable calm smile. "Ara, but I am also no longer the Student Council President," she pointed out.

"Oi, the only reason you wanted to be Student Council President was because of Kuga. Unlike you, I actually liked my job!" Haruka rebutted.

Haruka's words took a sharp stab. Shizuru's shoulders became hunched and all traces of a smile disappeared from her face.

Natsuki wanted to defend Shizuru. She didn't want the older girl to take all the blame. She worried about where this conversation was going. She wanted to change the topic if possible. This was obviously a sensitive topic for both Shizuru and Haruka. Natsuki knew there were three people Shizuru wronged during the Carnival- ... Nao, Yukino and Haurka. Obviously, Shizuru had made up with Yukino. Knowing Nao, it would be hard for her to forgive Shizuru for almost killing her mother. Natsuki wasn't sure about how Haruka felt about Shizuru but she had a dreadful feeling that she was about to find out.

"I'm sorry, Suzushiro-san. You must think I was rotten when you found out …" Shizuru said.

"Are you talking about the time when me and Yukino caught you and Kuga?" Haruka asked with a frown. "You killed Yukino's demon thingy and after that, I disappeared?"

"Yes," Shizuru answered. "I can't imagine how you must've felt. I knew how much you wanted to be Student Council President and yet, I took it away from you my own purpo-"

"You idiot," Haruka cussed. That's not why I was mad!"

"It's not?" both Shizuru and Natsuki blubbered out at the same time.

"No!" Haruka denied it again. "I was mad because- ... Look Bubuzuke, we've known each other for years! Years, Bubuzuke! We practically grew up together! But when we got into high school, you became distant. You stopped talking to me. You suddenly wanted to be Student Council President. You stopped calling me Haruka. I'm suddenly Suzushiro-san. I just didn't know what the hell was going on with you but when I saw you with Kuga, it all made sense. What pissed me off was ... ... you didn't come talk to me about it!"

Both Natsuki and Shizuru were astonished by Haruka's words. This was certainly news to Natsuki. Shizuru spoke, despite her stupefaction. "I was afraid you might react badly ..."

"So you just decided to shut me out of your life?" Haruka snapped. "You should've told me everything! Anything! You could've told me how you felt about Kuga. Yeah, I might have been a little surprised but if I'm truly your friend, don't you think I would be accepting?" Haruka sighed. "I know I sound like a hypocrite because I'm saying this after the way I reacted but let me make something very clear. I'm no saint, Bubuzuke. I lashed out at you when I found out about your feelings for Kuga. I said things that I didn't mean and ... a-and I'm sorry. I was just so damn pissed because you were willing to throw away our friendship for a girl ... no offense Kuga."

"None taken," Natsuki said. This was really not about her. It was an issue between Haruka and Shizuru.

Shizuru shook her head. "It wasn't just Natsuki at first. I thought I was going down a dangerous path. When I was accepting my Hime powers from Nagi I felt like I was making a deal with the devil. If possible, I didn't want to involve any of my friends and loved one." Shizuru smiled bitterly. "But after a while, I forgot why I was isolating myself ... I lost myself along the way and I ended up hurting you and Natsuki ... the people I vowed to protect," she said.

"You ass. You think I wouldn't want to walk down a 'dangerous path' with you." A near mischievous grin appeared on Haruka's face. "What did I just do for you yesterday? eh? eh? eh?" Haruka kept bumping Shizuru's shoulder with each word. With each bump, Natsuki saw a smile start to sprout on Shizuru's face.

Sometimes, Natsuki wondered why Haruka and Shizuru were always around each other even though the two acted like they couldn't stand one another. Now she knew why. They had always been friends. Shizuru could be stubborn and introverted at times but Haruka knew that. Haruka may have groused and complained but she never left Shizuru's side because she was a true friend. **_'A very loud and rude friend who likes to make death threats but still a friend,'_** Natsuki thought with an amused smile.

Haruka and Shizuru were now grinning at each other like small kids. "Ara, I guess I should've told you sooner," said Shizuru.

Haruka huffed. "Damn straight! If you did, I probably would've told you about my feelings for Yukino! We could've helped each other out! And I might not have any demon powers like the rest of you but you know damn well I'll help you fight off that Obi-something lord! You should have more faith in me, Bubuzuke!"

Shizuru chortled. "Ara, I never should've doubted you, Suzushiro-san." They shared a short laugh before Shizuru spoke in a somber tone. "Suzushiro-san, I know I should've asked you this sooner and I still might not be deserving of it but ... could you ever forgive me?"

Haruka rubbed her chin, looking deep in thought but the playful twinkle in her eyes showed that the decision was a fairly easy one. "I guess I could," she said. "Just don't pull that crap on me again and cut it out with the 'Suzushiro-san' "

The two friends shared as smile. "Ara, I promise I won't." Shizuru said. "But, if you don't want me to call you Suzushiro-san, then shall I call you Shishi-chan again?"

The nickname made Natsuki giggle. Shishi meant 'lion' and it was perfect for Haruka.

Haruka growled. "Don't call me Shishi-chan. It's Haruka."

"Ara, but you love it when I call you Shishi-chan!"

"I don't!"

Natsuki watched the two older girls banter with a perceptual smile on her lips. She had just witnessed a rather special moment. Both Haruka and Shizuru felt comfortable enough to share that moment with her and that fact alone made Natsuki happy. It was a sure sign that things were looking up after that hellish Hime Carnival.

Natsuki had also learned some surprising news. She had no idea Shizuru and Haruka knew each other that long. "I had no idea you guys knew each other that long," she blurted what was on her mind.

Natsuki statement conjured an evil grin on Haruka's face. "You should ask Bubuzuke what else she's keeping from you," she said. "She has a problem with keeping secrets. Almost like a habitual liar."

Haruka had a point. Natsuki was also aware that Shizuru was prone to keeping a lot of secrets. It was as bad as lying and simply unacceptable. Natsuki fixed her glare on the older girl. "Shizuru!"

Shizuru sweat-dropped. "A-ara-"

Haruka crossed her legs and leaned back with an impish grin. She was taking great satisfaction in Shizuru's panicked state. "I could get used to tattling on Bubuzuke," she said.

Heeding Haruka's warning, Natsuki decided to lay down some rules. "Shizuru, if I am to be your girlfriend then you can't keep secrets from me anymore!"

"Yes, Natsuki. No secrets."

"Promise!"

"Yes, I promise."

Haruka watched, highly amused at how Shizuru was saying an obedient 'yes' to Natsuki's every demand. "Whipped," she taunted. Haruka was not done yet. "Oh and Kuga, let me tell you something about Bubuzuke. Before she met you, she used to flirt with a lot of girls. Actually, the Fujino Fan Club was founded by a bunch of girls she flirted with. You better keep a good leash on her Kuga. You don't want Bubuzuke messing around with those girls."

Natsuki was instantly pissed. She never liked that stupid fan club. She was immediately reminded of the infuriating memory of those girls taking all of Shizuru's uniform buttons. **_'Their hands were all over Shizuru,' _**she thought with a sense of possessiveness. "Shizuru!" Natsuki spoke in a tone that clearly said the older girl was in deep trouble.

Shizuru also knew that she was in a precarious position. "Y-Yes Natsuki?" she answered fretfully.

"You are not allowed to flirt with your fan girls anymore!"

"Ara, but I don't flirt with them. I'm just nice to them," Shizuru explained.

"Then you can't be 'nice' to them anymore," Natsuki seethed. "Don't think I don't see you letting them take all your uniform buttons! They were all over you! You can't let them touch you like that anymore!"

Shizuru nodded diligently. "Yes, Natsuki!"

The younger girl wasn't done issuing orders. "And you can't let your fan girls hang around you anymore! Period!" Natsuki said.

Shizuru scratched her head with troubled frown. "Ara, but Natsuki, it's not as if I _let_ them hang around me. They'll do it with our without my consent."

Natsuki knew that she was being unreasonable but she just hated seeing Shizuru with those rabid girls. One girl was daring enough to touch Shizuru's neck. Who can say they wouldn't try something more daring? The thought was very disconcerting. **_'I'm jealous,'_** Natsuki thought. **_'Shizuru is MY girlfriend. She's all mine and those girls can drop dead if they don't like it! Why do I have to share Shizuru with those crazy girls!? Arrrghh! I don't want to share her with them!' _**Natsuki was getting increasingly upset by the matter.

"N-Natsuki?" said Shizuru in a panic stricken voice. "P-Please don't look so upset," she pleaded. "I'll do anything you want. I won't let those girls hang around me anymore. I promise, all right? I'll ... I'll ... I'll run! I''ll run in the opposite direction when I see them coming! I'm very good at hiding too. I'll avoid them at all cost so please ... don't be mad anymore, hmm?"

Natsuki would usually be sympathetic of Shizuru's agitated state but not when it came to the fan girls. "Good," she said. She was pleased with Shizuru's answer for now.

Shizuru turned to Haruka, who was watching the whole exchange with a smug grin. "Haruka is very mean. You know I can't stand the thought of my sweet Natsuki being upset with me," she said. "You're trying to get me in trouble on purpose."

"You figured me out! Congratulations!" Haruka stated sardonically. "And I must say, I think you are amazing Kuga. Bubuzuke is the most manipulative person I've met. In my whole life, this is my first time seeing her work this hard to please someone. I half expected her to manipulate you too but wow ... you got her so whipped! I have a whole new level of respect for you."

Shizuru stuck her tongue out at the blonde. "Ara," she said. "Of course I'll work hard to please Natsuki. I love her very much and I'll do anything she ask of me." The older girl cradled Natsuki's hand in her palm and started caressing it with her thumb. She gave Natsuki a doting look before continuing. "And if by 'whipped' you mean I am spoiling my lovely girlfriend rotten, then I'm proud to say that I am indeed, 'whipped.' "

Haruka rolled her eyes while Natsuki flushed red. She didn't think she was deserving of such affections but she was furtively delighted to hear those words from Shizuru. Natsuki decided she was satisfied with the older girl's answers and changed the topic to something else. "So, you two have known each other for a long time, huh?" she asked.

"Yup! Ever since our parents decided to let us play in the same cradle," Haruka affirmed.

"Woah, so you're like childhood best friends?" Natsuki exclaimed. With her hands on her hips, Natsuki threw her death glare at her girlfriend. "I thought you said I was your best friend! You lied to me!" And just like that, Shizuru was in trouble again.

"A-ara, Natsuki is my best friend but you're also more. Haruka is my best friend too but she's different. I don't- we- we-..." Shizuru turned to Haruka. "Help?"

"No way. I am enjoying this way too much," Haruka said.

Shizuru shot the blonde a sour look for the lack of help before turning back to her very annoyed girlfriend. "Think of it this way Natsuki," she started. "J-Just because you don't hold the title of 'best friend' doesn't mean I'll care for you any less. I apologize if you think I deceived you. I'll be h-honest ... I could never truly see Natsuki as a best friend because to me, you were always m-more. " Natsuki blushed. The answer made her happy but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. She didn't know how to comment on it.

Taking Natsuki's silence as a bad sign, Shizuru started to panic more.

Haruka had bagan to feel rather bad for Shizuru and decided to step in and change the topic quickly. "Sooo yeah, me, Yukino, Bubuzuke and Kazaki. We've been friends for a while. We all used to play together at Bubuzuke's parent's house when we were little. Ah, that reminds me, how are your parents?"

Shizuru was all too glad to have a subject change. "They said 'Hi,' and they would like everyone to come visit them in Kyoto when we're all free."

"Have you told them about your girl?" Haruka asked.

Haruka's statement brought another blush to Natsuki's face. Being called Shizuru's girl was making her feel all giddy. Natsuki rolled her eyes. She felt like she was turning into one of Shizuru's fan girls.

She decided to let Shizuru catch up with Haruka. Natsuki looked around her living room. Chie and Nao were still pigging out while the other girls were fawning over some actor on TV. Surely, Natsuki had inherited this group of friends along with her relationship with Shizuru. She couldn't come up with any other reason why they would all be in her living room.

After the Carnival ended, Natsuki was worried about how everyone would get along. They all tried to kill each other after all. But now, two people whom she thought were enemies turned out to be childhood friends and everyone else was hanging out without a problem. She thought the Carnival would leave them as broken human beings. '**_But we're more than fine' _**she thought with a happy smile.

"I'm booooooooooooooorred," a loud whiny wail brought Natsuki out of her revere.

Nao had eaten all the snacks and was now whining for lack of better things to do. Natsuki sighed. "What do you want now?"

"I don't know. Let's just do something. I'm bored," Nao said.

"Ah!" Chie snapped her fingers. "How about a game?"

Natsuki didn't have any board games in her apartment so she offered what she had. "Hmm, I have a decks of cards?" she said.

"Yeahhh! Let's play cards!" To Natsuki's relief, Nao immediately jumped on the idea. She went and got the cards for Nao.

"What does Nao-kun want to play?" Chie asked.

"Hmmmm … Bullshit! Let's play bullshit!" Nao piped. "There's only me and Chie. We need more people!"

"We're watching here Nao," Mai and the other two declined the game in favor of the TV. Nao turned to the people on the couch.

"I'll pass," Haruka said, sipping her coffee.

"Yeah me too," Natsuki also declined the offer.

"You guys are no fun," Nao mumbled. "Hey Fujino. Come and play with us!" As soon as these words left Nao's mouth, the whole room froze. Even the girls who were watching TV looked over their shoulders in shock.

Nao had invited Shizuru to a friendly activity. That was something that never happened. Everyone knew how much Nao hated Shizuru for defeating her child and almost killing her mother. Nao typically ignored Shizuru at their usual gatherings. Sometimes, she even refused to stay in the same room together. She didn't speak to Shizuru unless she absolutely had to, even then she would be overtly rude.

"Come on. Let's play," Nao started tugging gently at Shizuru's jean bottoms. That was enough to snap the older girl out of her stupor.

"A-ara, I don't know how to play that game," Shizuru said, looking just as confused as Natsuki.

"No prob. I'll teach you. It's not hard," Nao said, scooting over to make some space for Shizuru on the floor. Natsuki knew the older girl was unsure of the situation but Shizuru hid that well. She got off the couch and took a seat on the floor beside Nao.

"All right. The goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible. We're going to start with … ... ..." Nao went on with her explanation while Shizuru listened. Everyone watched the exchange. They were all worried. Was Nao playing some sort of trick? Did she have some ulterior motive?

Shizuru asked a question at some point and Nao laughed. Natsuki gazed at the red-head in wonder. She had never seen that kind of happy, almost child-like laughter coming from Nao. For a while, Natsuki could actually see how young she looked. The young red-head wouldn't let her guard down in front of others so it was rare to see her acting her own age for once. That was when Natsuki decided that Nao's invitation was genuine- ... that laugh was genuine. Which meant Nao was finally getting along with Shizuru. The thought made Natsuki elated.

The red-head was oblivious to all the baffled stares. "The best way to learn the game is to play it! You'll be playing like a pro after the first round," Nao said. She started distributing the cards to Shizuru and Chie. Then, the game was quickly underway.

Throughout the game, Nao kept looking at Shizuru's cards and instructed her on what to do. Shizuru was gladly letting Nao boss her around and appeared to be having fun as well.

"Three twos!" Chie said, laying down three cards faced down.

"Okay, Chie laid down three cards. She is telling you they are all twos," Nao glanced at the fan of cards in Shizuru's hand. "Here! You see? You have three cards of twos in your deck Fujino! That means Chie doesn't! She's bullshitting you! Say 'Bullshit!' " Nao shouted excitedly.

"B-Bull ... s-shit," Shizuru stuttered out.

Nao stared at Shizuru for a moment. Then she burst into a fit of laughter. "Ahahahhah, you sound so weird!"

"Come to think of it. I never heard Kaichou-sama swear," Chie assessed.

"Hehehe, that's why it sounds weird! Say it again! Say it again!" Nao urged.

Shizuru good naturedly humored the middle schooler. "B-B-Bull ... s-shit."

This time, the whole room laughed. Natsuki had to admit, Shizuru did sound awkward when she swore. She didn't know the full details of what happened yesterday but it seemed to have warmed Nao up to Shizuru.

Everyone went back to what they were doing after that. Mai and the others continued to watch TV while Shizuru, Nao and Chie played 'Bullshit.' Natsuki conversed with Haruka, occasionally checking up on how Shizuru and Nao were doing. After thirty minutes, the drama show on TV finished. Mai and the others decided to join in on the card game. For the heck of it, Natsuki and Haruka joined too.

For the whole night or early morning, Natsuki found out how it was like to have her apartment filled with fun games and happy chatter.

And honestly, she didn't mind it at all.


	9. Chapter 9

**A Happy Ending? Hah! NONE FOR YOU!**

The next day – Mid morning – Natsuki's apartment

The slight vibration under her pillow woke Natsuki up. It was her cell phone but she couldn't bother to pick it up. She breathed in a nose full of Shizuru's sweet scent and smiled when a possessive arm pulled her closer. She opened her eyes and was graced with the sight of a sleeping Shizuru. It made her want to coo. Sleeping Shizuru looked absolutely adorable.

Last night, they had played cards to the point where everyone could barely keep their eyes open. Natsuki had literally crawled to her bed. She didn't want Shizuru to sleep on the uncomfortable couch so she dragged a half-asleep Shizuru back to bed with her. The older girl was too tired to change and slept in her clothes. After Natsuki threw the covers on both of them, they were off to a dreamless sleep.

Natsuki sighed contently. If she knew that cuddling up to Shizuru felt this good, then she would have done it sooner. Shizuru had cushioned Natsuki head with one arm while her other arm was wrapped around Natsuki's waist. They were lying so close. Shizuru's embrace was so warm and comforting. Natsuki had never woken up like this before. She would probably never say this to Shizuru but - **_'I wouldn't mind waking up like this more often.'_**

Natsuki blushed when she felt a second arm around her shoulders. She tried not to squeak when Shizuru spooned her from behind.

_ **'Hold it!'** _Something was off. Natsuki rubbed her eyes. She checked if Shizuru was really sleeping in front of her. **_'Okay, she is.'_ **She checked Shizuru arms again. One was under Natsuki's head and the other was around her waist. She grabbed the extra arm around her shoulders. **_'If Shizuru is front of me, then WHO'S SPOONING ME FROM BEHIND!'_**

Suddenly, Natsuki felt wide awake. She turned her head around and was greeted by Aoi's drooling face. It was enough to make her scream, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"What's going on?" Chie's head popped up behind Aoi.

"CHIE?" Natsuki hollered. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN MY BED?"

"Damn, why the hell are you all so loud in the morning," a gruff voice came from behind Shizuru. Natsuki lifted her head and saw a blonde fuss. There was no doubt about it. It was Haruka.

Natsuki looked under the covers. She could see a bunch of bodies. She scampered up to get a better look at everyone on her bed. She saw Mai, Chie, Nao, Yukino- ... basically everyone from last night. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?" she shouted.

"Hrm … It's still early Natsuki. Go back to sleep," Mai mumbled drowsily.

"GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!" Sometimes, Natsuki felt like she and her friends were getting a little too close.

* * *

Same day – Mid morning – Natsuki's apartment

Half an hour later ... ... ...

Mai was making pancakes while the others were eating at the dining table. Everyone except Nao was present. The young red-head was still sound asleep back in Natsuki's room

Natsuki paced around her kitchen, muttering curses.

"Jeez, why you have to be so mad Kuga? You're the one who told us to come sleep in the bed because it's warmer," Haruka said through a mouthful of pancakes.

Natsuki rubbed her temples. "I was just asking Shizuru! Not all of you!" She couldn't imagine how they all managed to fit into her queen-sized bed.

"Well you should've made yourself clear," Haruka reproached.

"You didn't seem to mind when we got in bed with you, Natsuki-kun," Chie said.

"Yeah and I wasn't about to be left out in the cold," Haruka added.

"I was too sleepy notice anything- ... Argh!" She should pummel them all. Really, they had the nerve to sit there and complain while eating _her _pancakes. "Oh, what the heck," Natsuki threw up her hands in surrender. Her friends could be smart and insightful at times but other times they were just downright stupid.

"I have more pancakes!" Mai announced. "Natsuki, could you take this to the table?" She held up a plate of pancakes.

Now, Natsuki's title had been reduced from hostess to servant. She resigned to her fate. "Sure, why not?" she muttered. She was about to take the plate when it was intercepted by a hand.

A warm presence appeared behind her, accompanied by a voice. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look in the morning?" an accented voice whispered in her ear.

"S-Shizuru!" The compliment embarrassed her but moreover, it surprised her. In addition to what she had on last night, Natsuki was wearing an oversized robe that she had thrown on herself when she got up. Furthermore, she had a serious case of bed head. Natsuki certainly wouldn't call herself beautiful right now so why would Shizuru? "Stop joking around," she chided with a blush.

Shizuru smiled fondly. "How cute. You really don't have any idea how gorgeous you are. Do you, my Natsuki?" Her typical reaction to this kind of line from Shizuru would be anger or embarassment. Yet, she found herself smiling along with the older girl. She was slowly getting used to the idea of being Shizuru's object of desire and honestly, she enjoyed the attention. **_'I never really thought of myself as beautiful but if Shizuru thinks so then who am I to argue?'_**

"Well, I guess a compliment or two can't hurt," Natsuki replied in a coy tone.

The older girl chortled, very tickled by Natsuki's reaction. "Why don't you come sit down and eat breakfast with me?" Shizuru put her free hand over Natsuki's back. She started to rub slow circles. Natsuki almost purred at the contact. "Does Natsuki want coffee? Anything?" she asked.

As much as she wanted to join her girlfriend. Natsuki decided to do the right thing. "It's all right," she said. "I'll help Mai out in the kitchen. It's my kitchen after all."

Shizuru kissed her temples. "If Natsuki insists. Let me know if you need any help." Natsuki felt her cheeks flair up. Those small acts of affection from Shizuru always caught her off guard but they also warmed her shot her a heart throbbing smile before turning back towards the dining table. Natsuki's eyes followed the older girl.

Shizuru's clothes were wrinkled and her hair was unkempt but Natsuki still thought she looked incredible. She observed Shizuru from where she stood. Natsuki couldn't help but admire her. She was tall and lean. Her body had a feminine beauty to it. Nevertheless, training with a weapon such as a naginata had helped Shizuru develop muscles in areas such as her arms and abs. Being a modest dresser, Shizuru rarely showed off her body but Natsuki had seen everything during the times Shizuru wore a two piece swimsuit. She always wanted to touch the older girl's abdomen, to feel how hard it was but deemed it to be inappropriate when they were still friends.

**_'Now that I'm her girlfriend, I'm allowed touch her any way I want!' _**With that happy thought, Natsuki made a mental note to give Shizuru's abs a good poking later. **_'Hmmm, so I get to touch Shizuru any way I want ...'_** Her mind started to drift and so did her eyes, down Shizuru's retreating back. She bit her lips. She found herself imagining how it would be like to run her hand freely over Shizuru abdomen and ... other parts of that body. Her gaze came to rest on the older girl's shapely butt. **_'Ekk! What am I doing?!'_** Natsuki shook her head. Her thoughts were quickly going south. "Coffee, yes I need coffee," she murmured. She busied herself with making a cup.

But Natsuki couldn't keep her mind off Shizuru for long. She couldn't help it. Shizuru had awakened feelings in her that she didn't know existed. Natsuki was starting to see everything in a new light. Before yesterday, she couldn't imagine being intimate with Shizuru but it was different now. Her cheeks turned rosy red when she remembered what they did last night. **_'I didn't dislike what we did. The kissing was really not that bad ... It kinda felt nice.' _**

Several moments passed before Natsuki conscious gave an agonized groan. She couldn't lie to herself anymore. **_'Ugh, who am I kidding. It was more than nice. It was SO GOOD.'_** She blushed at the memory of the tantalizing kisses. She wondered what could have happened if their friends didn't show up. Would Shizuru have done more than kissing? **_'More than kissing ... ...,'_ **Her mind started to drift again. Out of the nowhere, R-rated images started flashing inside Natsuki's head. Startled by her own indecent thoughts, she nearly dropped her coffee cup.

"Are you okay?" Mai asked. She stopped tending the pancakes to scrutinize Natsuki.

"Y-Yes! I was just-." Natsuki's phone began to vibrate on the counter. "Hold on." Glad to be saved of the trouble of explaining herself, she quickly picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

_"Natsuki dear, is that you?"_ It was an elderly woman's voice. Natsuki knew exactly who it was."Nana?"

_ "Yes dear, it's your Nana. Are you at your apartment?" _It was Nana, Natsuki's legal guardian. "I am. Why? What's up?"

_"Well. I'm on my way over right now."_

"Really? Nana, I didn't know you were in town!" The news made her happy. Nana was the closest thing Natsuki had to a real family. Her Nana ran a small business in Kyoto and could only visit every now and then.

_'Indeed I am. I tried calling you earlier but you didn't pick up.'_

Natsuki remembered the phone call that woke her up. "O-Oh yeah, I was still erm ... sleeping." **_'More like too busy cuddling with Shizuru,' _**she thought. She decided to hold off on the truth for now. "So you just got here?"

_"Oh no, I arrived in Fuuka a few days ago but I got tied up in something so I couldn't call you right away. I'll tell you all about it when I get there."_

"Okay. But I have to warn you Nana. My place is a bit messy."

Natsuki heard a dry chuckle on the other line._ "When is it not?"_

"Hey! I clean up sometimes! It's just that I had my friends over last night!"

_ "You've made friends? Oh my sweet child, that's so wonderful! Will I get to meet them?" _Her Nana had always encouraged her to make new friends. Natsuki's refusal to open up to others always worried her guardian. She knew that her Nana would be overjoyed if she were to meet her friends.

"Do you really want to?"

_ "I would love to my dear."_

"Cool. I'll ask if they want to stick around. When are you gonna get here?"

_"Give me about thirty minutes."_

"Okay. I'll see you soon Nana!"

_"See you soon, dear."_

By the time the call ended, Natsuki's face was beaming. "What got you all perky?" Haruka asked.

"Nana is coming!" Natsuki piped.

"Nana?" Yukino repeated. "As in grandmother?"

"I guess she's like a grandmother," Natsuki mused.

"Ara, I thought Natsuki does't have any living relatives," Shizuru asked.

"I don't. Nana's not a relative. She's a close family friend and my legal guardian. She just likes to check up on me sometimes. But I guess you could say she's kinda like family." Natsuki said. "Anyways, she's coming here in about thirty minutes."

"Should we leave before she comes?" Chie asked.

"About that, I wanted to ask you guys something," Natsuki chuckled nervously. She wanted them to meet her Nana but she felt like she owed them an explanation as to why**. '_So here goes nothing ...' _**Natsuki crossed her fingers, in hopes that they wouldn't make fun of her for what she was about to say. "You know, I always thought I was unfortunate ... because of my parent's death and all ... but last night, I realized it wasn't true. I'm actually pretty lucky because I'm surrounded by good people ... ... A-After going through the Hime Carnival and the whole hospital-police incident, I've finally found friends I can count on when push comes to shove." She smiled gratefully. "I know I don't act like it but I do like having you guys around. You are all ... probably my first and only friends I've ever had since my dog Duran … and so it w-would m-mean a lot to m-me if you all could s-stay and meet my Nana."

The response she got was a bone crushing hug from Mai. "Of course we would!"

"Awww, that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say Natsuki-kun! I wish I could've recorded it," Chie said.

"Of course we would love to stay!" Yukino said.

"You can't not give me a hug after saying something so sweet Natsuki-san," Aoi charged at Natsuki with opens arms.

"Ackk! No! Stay away!" Natsuki's protests were futile. She was engulfed in multiple hugs.

Natsuki was usually a straight forward person but not when it involved people and trust. She always thought she was opening herself to danger if she let someone get close to her. It wasn't until she got her first friend, Shizuru, that she grasped how lonely she had been. After Shizuru, she met other friends and now, she couldn't imagine her life without any of them. Through her friends, Natsuki had begun to appreciate how it was like to be surrounded by people who cared about her. Now that she discovered that feeling, she never wanted to let it go.

And Natsuki couldn't have gotten this far without taking that first steps. That first step when she let Shizuru in her life. "Natsuki?" Shizuru stood in front of her, arms extended. She gladly accepted the warm embrace.

"Are you staying?" Natsuki asked the older girl.

"You don't even need to ask. Of course I'll stay my Natsuki," Shizuru replied, leaving a soft peck on Natsuki's cheek before letting her go.

Haruka coughed loudly. "Do we need to clean your apartment before your Nana gets here?" she asked.

Shizuru leaned over and whispered in Natsuki's ear. "That's Haruka's way of saying, she'll stay," she explained.

Natsuki nodded with an amused smile. "Thank you for staying Suzushiro!"

"T-That's not what I-...hrmmp whatever," Haruka mumbled with a small blush.

It was settled. Everyone was going to stay. "So! When is your Nana getting here again?" Mai asked

"Twenty to thirty minutes, give or take." Natsuki did a quick head count. There was still one person missing. "What about Nao?"

"Oh, she'll stay," Haruka said with finality like it wasn't a choice.

"She's still sleeping in your room Natsuki-san," Aoi said. "Nao sleeps like a rock so you'll need to shake her hard and yell real loud if you want to wake her." Aoi knew her roommate best.

"Heh. Figures. She slept through Kuga's tirade after all." Haruka joked.

"Hmm, can you all hear that?" Yukino asked out of the blue. Everyone stopped talking and listened. Then, they heard the noise

"... ow" *thump* " …. ow" *thump* " ow"

"What is that?" Haruka asked. The noise was getting louder and closer. Natsuki looked down the hallway leading to her bed room and saw what … or rather who was making the said noise. Nao was stumbling through the hallway with her eyes still closed. The thumping nose was made by Nao bumping into every piece of furniture in her way.

"Speak of the devil," Natsuki murmured. She went and got the red-head before she broke something. Too drowsy to resist, Nao let herself be dragged. When they stopped near the dining table, Nao smacked her lips. "Thirsty," she grumbled groggily.

Natsuki handed Nao a glass of water and seated her at the table. "Hungry …," Nao mumbled again. Natsuki dropped a plate of pancakes in front of the girl. Nao started sniffing. Her eyes opened in tiny cracks when she smelled the pancakes. "Oh hey! Pancakes! Ommm!" she exclaimed as she started shoving the food into her mouth. Nao's eyes opened a little wider when she tasted the pancakes. "Omm. Oh wow, this is really good! Nom."

Aoi giggled. "She's not quite awake yet but she's getting there."

Now that nearly everyone was awake, they could start preparing for Nana's arrival. "All right. I'm gonna go freshen up," Haruka announced.

"Oh, good idea. I need to wash my face too," said Yukino and the others soon followed.

"I'm going to use some of your mouth wash Natsuki-san," Aoi said.

"Dibs on the bathroom!" Chie shouted.

They didn't bother to wait for Natsuki's permission. The group charged down the hallway and into the bathroom. Natsuki just shook her head with an amused smile. Only Mai, Nao, Shizuru and herself were left. "I'll finish my breakfast first," Shizuru said. She returned to the dining table.

"And I'll clean the kitchen real quick," said Mai. "Natsuki, are you sure you don't need me to clean the house before your Nana comes?"

"It's fine Mai. You've done more than enough," Natsuki insisted. "I'll go clean the living room a bit. You should take a break."

"Well look at you, acting all grown up," Mai ruffled her hair, earning a low growl from Natsuki.

It was true that she wanted Mai to rest but Natsuki also had another reason. With a small smile playing on her lips, Natsuki headed towards the dining table. She stood behind Shizuru's chair and wrapped her arms around the older girl's neck. "Hey," she greeted.

Mildly surprised red eyes looked up to meet her own green ones. "Ara," Shizuru's hands immediately came up to caress her arm. "Natsuki is being quite affectionate."

"What? You don't want me to be?" Natsuki started to pull her arms back only to have Shizuru grab them and put them back around her neck.

The older girl chuckled. "No no please, I love it when Natsuki is being affectionate," she said. Natsuki was glad. She was a very private person, meaning she hated displaying emotions like affection but with Shizuru, it was different. Being with Shizuru this way just felt right.

"You haven't eaten breakfast yet," Shizuru observed.

"Breakfast can wait," Natsuki said. "I'm gonna go clean up last night's mess in the living room. Could you join me there after you're done with breakfast? I need to talk to you about Nana."

Shizuru quickly shoved the last of her pancakes into her mouth. "I'll join you now."

They both made their way to the living room. "What did Natsuki want to talk about?" Shizuru asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the others.

Natsuki geared up to ask the question that had been haunting her ever since her Nana called. She twiddled her fingers nervously as she spoke. "Well Shizuru ... erm ... I w-was wondering ... D-Do you think I should tell Nana about us?" she asked.

Shizuru stopped in her track, surprise clearly evident on her face. "Ara, Natsuki's Nana is your guardian isn't she? So, she's like a parent to you almost."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Ara!" A teasing smile emerged on Shizuru's face. "We haven't gone out on a date yet but you want me to meet your parents already? You moving quite fast, my Natsuki. I didn't know you were so serious about me."

When Natsuki finally caught on to Shizuru's suggestive statement, she turned into a tomato. "Idiot! I-It's not- ...," she sputtered. Her flustered state only caused Shizuru's smile to widen. Natsuki pouted and turned the other way. Seeing that teasing look on Shizuru was only going to get her worked up. But before she let her anger and shame get the best of her, she had to stop and wonder. **_'Am I really moving too fast?'_** Shizuru did have a point **_'We haven't gone out on a single date yet ... ... We haven't even spent a whole day as a couple.'_** Maybe Natsuki _was _moving too fast.

"Ara, did I make you mad Natsuki?" Shizuru asked. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself from teasing you, again."

"No," Natsuki turned around. This was not the time for her to act childish. "You do have a point Shizuru. Maybe I'm doing this too fast. This whole couple thing is all new to me so I don't know what I'm doing. And my Nana is kinda old fashioned so I've no idea how she's going to feel about this. I'm sorry for asking you this out of the blue. I should've thought about it more. You're right. We've only just started going out. Couples introduce each other to their parents only if they're in a serious relationship right? ... I-I-It's not that I'm not serious about you! I t-think I am serious but I don't know about you. B-BUT it's okay if you don't know because we haven't been dating for very long so there's no way you would know- BUT that doesn't matter either because I-I ... y-you- I mean ..."

Shizuru cupped her cheeks. "Darling. Calm down," she said. "You look like you're about to have a panic attack."

Natsuki temporarily forgot what she was ranting about. She stared at Shizuru in awe. "You called me 'Darling,' " she murmured.

Shizuru frowned. "Ara, I did. Is something wrong with that?"

"No!" Natsuki said hurriedly. She blushed and began to fidget. "It's your first nickname for me and well ... I dunno. I feel like it make us more ... official," she said with an bashful smile.

Shizuru stared at her blankly. Then, she exploded into a hearty laugh. "God, you are just too adorable!"

Natsuki tried to run away out of embarrassment but strong arms gathered her up. Before she could struggle, Shizuru pressed their lips together. She felt Shizuru's arms tighten around her waist. Instinctively, Natsuki hugged Shizuru's neck. The older girl was quick to deepen their kiss and Natsuki succumbed to it with equal passion. Her mind literally went blank for a moment. By the time Shizuru pulled back, Natsuki had to fight hard to remember what she was worrying about.

Shizuru was gazing down at her with a doting smile. "Natsuki," she started. "I don't think we're moving fast at all. I actually think we're long overdue."

"Really?" Natsuki brightened up.

"Yes, and to answer your question. I am _very _serious about you," Shizuru said. "You have no idea how much." She added the last part with a mischievous smile.

Natsuki's interest was piqued. "Oh? How serious are you?"

"Very serious," Shizuru repeated in a teasing tone.

"You just said that!"

Shizuru laughed. "Because it's the truth!"

That answer wasn't good enough for Natsuki. "Shiiizuuuuruuu. Tell me! How much?" she whined.

"Maybe marriage serious," Shizuru answered with a playful shrug. "Maybe."

Natsuki gave a small indignant huff. "Just maybe? Am I that expendable?" She slapped Shizuru's arm. "I resent that! What kind of girl do you take me for?"

Shizuru chuckled. "Goodness, you're a sassy little thing aren't you?"

Natsuki scowled. "Deal with it," she said. She shot her most intimidating glare at her girlfriend which, in Natsuki's case was a petulant pout. "Fujino Shizuru! You promised! No secrets anymore! I command you to tell me!"

Natsuki's childish behaviour only made Shizuru grin grow winder. The older girl bit her lips to stop herself from laughing again. "Natsuki is so bossy. I already said I'm very serious about you!"

"But you said you're maybe marriage serious! That's doesn't sound 'very serious,' " Natsuki argued.

Shizuru exhaled deeply. "All right. Fine. I'm very serious about you and I hope to marry you one day if you're not against the idea. Are you happy now?" Natsuki didn't miss the small falter in Shizuru's perfect smile when she spoke. "Ah, you made me say it. Now, Natsuki won't be surprised when I finally propose to her."

Natsuki blushed. They were passing this whole conversation as a joke but she could tell that Shizuru was being half serious. However, what the older girl didn't know was that it was also half serious for Natsuki.

Natsuki stood on her toes and pecked Shizuru's lips. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll act really surprised when you do."

The older girl was stunned at first. Then, the most heart warming smile spread across her face. Soon, they were both smiling. Then, they were laughing. Now, Natsuki really had to wonder why she didn't do this sooner. She was having the time of her life.

When the laughter died down, Natsuki brought their attention back to their current issue. "Shizuru, about Nana ..." she started.

"Say no more." Shizuru nuzzled Natsuki's nose with hers. "It would be my greatest pleasure to be introduced to your Nana as your girlfriend."

"O-Okay." And just like that, Natsuki's worries were gone. No one could have this affect on her but Shizuru. The older girl knew just what to say to make her feel better. That was one of those things Natsuki loved about Shizuru. **_'Love ..." _**Yes, she did love Shizuru. "I love you," Natsuki murmured shyly.

"I love you too my Natsuki," Shizuru replied. She met Natsuki's lip in a quick chaste kiss. "Is everything okay now?" she asked.

"No," Natsuki answered. "It's more than okay. Everything is perfect."

And things _were _perfect. For the first time since her mother's death, Natsuki didn't feel bitter about how her life went. She had friends who cared for her. She had an attentive girlfriend who loved her to bits and whom she loved in return. When the Hime Carnival started, Natsuki thought things could only get worse from then on but now, she could happily admit that she had been wrong. Now, Natsuki could finally look forward to happy days ahead. **_'Yep, everything is just perfect right now.'_**

"So, wanna help me clean up?" Natsuki asked.

* * *

Same day – About fifteen minutes later – Natsuki's apartment

There was nothing much to be done in the living room. Natsuki and Shizuru collected the dirty plates and glasses. They put away the cards and dusted the coffee table. When they got done with the cleaning, they both joined Nao at the dining table. The red-head was still eating her pancakes.

Everyone else was still in the bathroom, making themselves presentable. Natsuki was currently in the process of combing down Nao's unruly mane while Shizuru tried to straighten the red-head's clothes. Upon Nao's request, Mai had started making pancakes again.

They were making small talk when the knock came.

"Nana's here!" Natsuki said excitedly. She dropped the comb and ran to the door.

When she finally opened it, she was greeted with the sight of an elderly woman with short silver hair. The woman was wearing a white blouse with a long black skirt that went down to her ankles. She wore a small shoulder bag and had a black umbrella hooked on her arm. The woman looked to be around her seventies but she stood tall and carried herself with an air of pride and dignity.

"Nana!"

"Natsuki dear. It's so good to see you." The old woman pulled her into a short but firm hug.

Natsuki made way for her Nana to come in. "Come inside Nana. Have you eaten? Do you want anything to drink?"

"Oh, I'm quite all right dear. I'm not hungry but I'm parched."

"I'll make you some tea!"

Her Nana gave her a dubious look. "_You _are going to make me tea? I'm not too sure about that. I could just put a kettle on myself."

Natsuki huffed. Here was another person who didn't like seeing her in the kitchen. "H-Hey! I can make tea! It's not that hard!" she said crossly.

Her Nana smiled. "If you say so. I will clean your living room while you brew me a cup. It is such a mess in here."

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "I just cleaned it!"

The old woman raised a subtle brow. "Good grief. I can't imagine how it must look when you don't."

Natsuki linked their arms together. "No cleaning while you're here Nana. Come on. Come sit in the kitchen and meet my friends."

"Your friends are still here? How lovely. Yes, I would like meet them."

Natsuki led her Nana to the dining table.

When the two of them entered the dining area, the others were still not back. Only Shizuru, Mai and Nao were there. Shizuru, being the polite person that she was, immediately stood up when she saw Natsuki and her Nana.

"Hey guys! This is my Nana!" Natsuki said. She decided to introduce everyone as her friend first. She would tell her Nana about Shizuru later. "Nana, that's my best friend Shizuru. The one's eating pancakes is Nao and the one near the stove is Mai."

After that, the room was deadly quiet. "Hmmm?" Natsuki was suddenly confused. Why was everyone quiet? Why weren't they greeting each other? Natsuki set her eyes on Shizuru. The sight made her gasp. Shizuru face had that look. The last time she saw that look on the older girl was when Natsuki rejected her love during the Hime Carnival. Natsuki could never forget the fear in Shizuru's eyes.

But Natsuki was confused. What in the world was putting that fearful look on Shizuru's face again?

The deafening silence was broken by a surprised chirp from Nao. "Heyyyyy! It's the crazy sword fighter lady from the hospital!"

"Ne Natsuki. By any chance, is your Nana's name 'Miss Maria' ..." Mai asked.

Now, Natsuki was really confused. "How did you know?"

"Ohhh boy," Mai whimpered.

Miss Maria pointed her parasol at Shizuru. "YOU! YOU'RE THAT PERVERT!" she bellowed.

"W-What's going on?" Natsuki asked.

An uneasy chuckle escaped from Shizuru. "N-Natsuki, do you remember the elderly woman I met at the hospital? I used ... a walking stick to fight her? Well, this is ... her." she said.

"That can't be-" Natsuki gave her Nana a questioning look. "Were you at the hospital?" she asked.

Miss Maria gave a curt nod. "I had a small accident in my hotel room. I had to be hospitalized for a few days. That's when I met this- this- this PERVERT!" she said. Natsuki was shocked to hear the venom and anger in her Nana's voice. She could literally see fire in Miss Maria's eyes. Natsuki knew about her Nana's temperament. Something needed to be done or the situation was going to spiral out of control.

_'**What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?' **_Natsuki was beginning to panic. Shizuru and Mai were currently frozen in fear while the last useless person in the room was only making matters worse. "Woahhhh." Nao rubbed her eyes. "I _am _seeing her right? Is the crazy sword fighter lady really here?" She poked at her pancakes. "Am I like, trippin' or something? Mai? Did you put crack in my pancakes?"

The other friends who went to beautify themselves had returned at that moment. Aoi walked into the dining area. "What about Mai-san and crack?" she asked, repeating the bits of a conversation she had heard just then.

Chie followed close behind. "Hmm? Why are we talking about Mai-kun's crack?"

A very confused Yukino walked in behind Chie. "Mai-san's crack?" she uttered.

Haruka followed her girlfriend in. "Mai's crack? That's disgusting. Why are we talking about it again?"

"MY CRACK IS NOT-" Mai rubbed her face. She reigned her outburst back in. This was not the time to get mad. "Can you all just please, stop saying that," she said between gritted teeth.

Miss Maria's glare shifted to Natsuki. "Don't tell me these people are your friends?"

The newcomers took notice of Miss Maria in the room for the first time. Haruka pointed a finger at the elderly lady. "Hey! You're that sword fighter lady from the hospital. What are you doing- ... Oh shit, don't tell me you are-"

Natsuki started to chew on her fingers. Her friends were definitely not helping the situation. Definitely not. She looked over at her Nana who had her eyes closed. She looked like she was having to hold back from exploding. Miss Maria spoke with an ominous growl. "Don't tell me you are friends with these _imbeciles _and that _pervert!"_

Shizuru, who finally found her voice, spoke up for the first time. "Madam, I assure you this is all a big misunderstanding. If you would sit down and let me explain-"

"THERE IS NOTHING TO EXPLAIN!" the old woman hollered. "You disgusting pervert! You are wanted by the police! What are you doing here?"

"I am not wanted-"

"LIES! What are you low lives doing here? What are you doing with Natsuki?" Miss Maria demanded.

"Nana! They're not low lives!" Natsuki defended.

"Oh, they're not are they? This," Miss Maria pointed at Shizuru. "conniving pervert left me, AN OLD LADY! To take her place in the hands of the police. And this," Miss Maria pointed at Mai, "girl is talking openly about her cra- cra- cra- ... " Miss Maria rubbed her temples in distress. "Oh, I can't even say it. You shouldn't go around and talk openly about your genitalia or let others talk about it! That's something private! No respectable lady should act that way!"

Natsuki smacked her forehead. The generation gap between Miss Maria and them was proving to be hazardous. "Nana that's not the sort of crac-"

"DON'T!" Miss Maria shouted. "Natsuki, for the love of god please do not say that indecent word out loud if you don't want to break my heart!" she said putting a hand to her chest.

Natsuki sweat-dropped. "But- but ..."

Shizuru cleared her throat. "Madam, when we say crack in this case, we're actually talking about a type of street drug-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME YOU FIEND! You think I don't know what a woman's crack is!" Miss Maria fumed. "Now, look what you made me do! I've said that disgusting word!" Miss Maria gave Natsuki an admonishing glare. "Do not be fooled by their pretty faces, Natsuki. These people are as low as they come!"

"You've got it all wrong!" Mai tried to explain. "About the crack, Kaichou-sama and well ... EVERYTHING! You got it all wrong!"

Mai, just like anyone else was trying to control the situation but Haruka decided that she wasn't doing it right. "Tokiha! Just tell the woman already!" she shouted. "You can't beat around your bush ... No! I mean- beat her bush! NO! I meant to say beat around the bush! GAH!" Haruka had picked the worst time possible to trip over her tongue and it would cost her dearly. A certain absentminded red-head was there to make sure of it.

"Whaaaaaaaa?" Nao drawled. "Mai's gonna beat her own bush then she's gonna beat the old lady's bush? Woah woah, that's kinky and all but I'm confused dude. I thought Mai was straight!"

"NAO! SHUT UP!" Utterly mortified, Mai tried to put a hand over Nao's mouth to stop her sleepy ranting but it was too late. Miss Maria had heard.

The elderly woman's face was red, either from anger or embarrassment, or both. She was looking at all the girls with much disdain. "How dare you talk about me this way! I am old enough to be your grandmother you little twats!" She shook her head in disgust. "You are all REVOLTING!_"_

Haruka was desperate now. Things were starting to go from bad to apocalyptic "No! No! It was a mistake Madam! Tokiha does not want to beat your bush! " Haruka cried. "Or anyone else's bush for that matter," she added hurriedly.

"She's right! I can prove it! I have a boyfriend!" Mai said but realized they were going off in tangents. She feared it would only serve to aggravate Miss Maria more. "B-But that's not the point here!" she said. "This is all a big misunderstanding! You have to believe-"

"SILENCE!" Miss Maria shouted, now pointing her parasol at Mai. She was in no mood to listen to anyone. "I've heard enough! I will not allow you to corrupt someone innocent like Natsuki anymore. I would personally deliver you all to the police but those fools can't tell the difference between a criminal and an harmless old lady! SO! I shall take it upon myself to bring justice! PREPARE TO FEEL MY WRATH YOU LOW LIVES!" she shouted and charged at Mai.

"No! Nana!" Natsuki tried to hang onto Miss Maria's arm but her Nana was surprisingly strong and fast.

Mai, on the other hand, realized that she should fear for her safety. "AHHHHH! SHE'S NOT LISTENING! SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!" she screamed.

"Mai-san!" Aoi called out. "You're holding a spatula! Use it like a weapon! Defend yourself!" she said.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Mai hollered. However, she was out of options. Miss Maria was hurling at her with the parasol held high.

The old woman let out a battle cry. "UN GARDE!"

"AHHHHHH!" Taking Aoi's advice, Mai tried retaliating with the spatula but alas, it was no match for Miss Maria's parasol. The elderly woman knocked the offending object out of Mai's hands. "AHHH! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" Mai pleaded, using her hands to shield any oncoming attack from Miss Maria.

"WHAT ARE YOU SORRY ABOUT?" Miss Maria roared.

"I DON'T KNOW BUT PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" Mai made a mad dash towards her group of friends.

Shizuru also made a run for it but not before grabbing the still drowsy Nao. She headed for the group too. Shizuru had done it because the group gave her a sense of protection but she soon realized she had made a big mistake.

The group was standing near the hallway that led to Natsuki's bed room. Shizuru had ran in the opposite direction of the only true escape- ... the front door. Miss Maria would only need to take a few steps to position herself between the group of girls and their only escape. They were all trapped.

"Please Nana, don't!" Natsuki didn't know whether to jump in front of Miss Maria or tackle her. The first option would be useless because her Nana was acting like a mad bull. The second option was simply inappropriate.

While Natsuki was pulling her hair out, the group of terrified girls were running out options. Escape was futile. The only choice they had left was to decide who to use as a human shield. Haruka pushed Shizuru to the front. "This is your mess!" she accused.

Shizuru grabbed Haruka's pushing arm and quickly switched their position. "But you always clean up my messes Haruka!"

Haruka turned herself around bumped Shizuru towards Miss Maria. "Like hell I will. You are on your own!"

Shizuru grabbed onto Haruka with a steel like grip. "Aren't we childhood friends?" she begged.

"Not anymore!"

"I've got you now," said the bone chilling voice. Shizuru and Haruka stopped arguing. Their hairs started to stand. The elderly woman's voice was filled with promises of pain. With a menacing smile, Miss Maria took a step towards the group with her ever trustworthy parasol held above her like a claymore.

"Guys, she's coming!" Chie warned.

Nao, still oblivious to the looming danger snorted when she heard Chie's words. "Nyahaha! That what's she saiddd!"

"SHUT UP!" Haruka's fist connected with Nao's head but she didn't get to stay angry for long.

"PREPARE YOURSELF YOU WRETCHED FOOLS!" Miss Maria screamed. She suddenly bolted toward them like a blitz.

"Ah shit," Haruka and Shizuru clutched each other.

"This is not happening," Shizuru whimpered.

"NANA! DON'T!" Natsuki begged but it was no use. The girls were now only an umbrella swing away from imminent pain.

"DIIIIEEEE!" Miss Maria bellowed.

"HEY! IS SHE REALLY PLANNING ON KILLING US?" Mai screamed. "SOMEBODY HEEEELP!"

"NO! NANA!"

Then, with unthinkable strength, Miss Maria brought her wrath down on the group of screaming girls.

In the end, the day did not go as Natsuki planned. She had intended for her friends and new girlfriends to get to know her Nana, Miss Maria.

In reality, everyone got to know Miss Maria a little while Miss Maria made sure they all got to know her parasol a lot.

**THE END**

* * *

**Hey folks! It's the Author again.  
**

**I hope you all enjoyed the story. I want to thank you for taking the time to read through it.**

**I would also like to apologize to Shizuru. I made her go through all this crap and I couldn't even write a decent smut scene for her. It's not that I don't want to. I'm just really bad at it and things tend to go horribly wrong when I do.  
**

**So, I hope Shizuru is not too mad. Just in case, I will be checking under my bed every night from now on. If you never hear from me again, you'll know who to blame XD**

**Best regards!**

**Bpython.**


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